Peripheral Nerve Disorders and Treatment: Assessing the Readability of Online Patient Resources

Peripheral nerve (PN) disorders are common, yet the patient journey from diagnosis to surgery and recovery can be lengthy and difficult. Many patients rely on online resources during this process, and their understanding of the disease process and treatments may influence management and outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of online patient resources across different PN disorders, sources, and website sections to identify opportunities to improve clarity and accessibility.

Three search engines were queried using terms for various peripheral nerve disorders. After excluding duplicates, scientific publications, and physician-oriented and restricted-access content, 200 patient-directed articles were included. Articles were scored based on full-text and individual sections (eg, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Preop, Intraop, Recovery, Rehab). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD.

Two hundred websites were included from 4 source types: hospitals/academic centers (n=111), private practices (n=58), patient advocacy organizations (n=24), and other nonprofit organizations (n=8). Across sources, average Flesh-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE) score ranged from 37.6 (SD ±11.5) to 42.6 (SD ±13.1), and both college-level reading scores and grade-level scores ranged from 11.8 (SD ±1.93) to 15.6 (SD ±2.9). ANOVA demonstrated significant differences (P=0.001) between sources regarding the number of complex words; the Tukey test showed patient advocacy organizations had significantly more complex words than hospitals/academic centers and private practices (P<0.5). Article sections on "Symptoms" and "Recovery" were significantly more difficult to read than all other sections across a variety of metrics (ie, FKRE, GFS, CLI, SMOG, number and percentage of complex words; P<0.05).

Online patient resources for peripheral nerve disorders were written well-above the recommended fifth-grade level, with grade levels ranging from late high school to college graduate. "Symptoms" and "Recovery" sections were written at the highest reading levels, and patient advocacy organizations used more complex words than other sources. To improve readability, future resources should adopt clearer, simpler language and integrate supportive media such as visuals, infographics, or structured text-based aids to enhance patient comprehension without increasing textual complexity.