Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
04:41
Isolation, Culture, and Characterization of Primary Dermal Fibroblasts from Human Keloid Tissue
Published on: July 28, 2023
Assessing the Readability of Online Keloid Resources
Kenechi Iwelumo1, Katie Singh1
1Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, USA.
Cureus
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Online information about keloid scars is too difficult for many patients to understand. Most patient education materials require a reading level above the recommended sixth grade, hindering access to vital health information.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Health Literacy
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Keloids are fibroproliferative scars that disproportionately affect individuals with skin of color.
- Patients often seek online health resources for keloid scar information due to treatment complexity.
- Existing online materials may present barriers for individuals with limited health literacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the readability of top online patient education materials (PEMs) for "keloid scar."
- To determine if these PEMs meet the American Medical Association's (AMA) recommended readability standards.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed the top 100 Google search results for "keloid scar" in incognito mode.
- Included 40 websites after excluding duplicates, scientific articles, and non-educational content.
- Assessed readability using six validated formulas (Flesch-Kincaid, SMOG, Gunning Fog, Coleman-Liau, ARI, Linsear).
Main Results:
- Only 12.5% of keloid PEMs met the AMA's recommended sixth-grade reading level.
- The average readability was at the 10th-grade level (mean=9.54), with individual scores ranging up to 15.02.
- Government websites showed the lowest readability (sixth-grade level), but still exceeded recommended levels for some resources.
Conclusions:
- Online PEMs for keloid scars are written at a level that may impede understanding for patients with low health literacy.
- There is a critical need for more accessible and culturally relevant patient education materials on keloid scars.
- Improving readability is essential to ensure equitable access to health information for all populations, especially those disproportionately affected by keloids.
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