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Evaluating the Readability of Patient-Facing Online Educational Materials for Pediatric Leukemia and Lymphoma

Chloe Strege1, Simone Intriago Tito1, Courtney Popp1,2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Pediatric Blood & Cancer
|July 31, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Online information about pediatric leukemia and lymphoma is often too difficult for families to understand. Most cancer center websites and search results exceed the recommended sixth-grade reading level, hindering informed healthcare decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Health Communication
  • Medical Informatics

Background:

  • Leukemia and lymphoma constitute a significant portion of pediatric cancer diagnoses in the U.S.
  • Caregivers increasingly rely on online resources for medical information.
  • Accessible patient education materials are vital for informed decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess if online educational materials on pediatric leukemia and lymphoma meet the recommended sixth-grade reading level.
  • To evaluate readability standards set by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and American Medical Association (AMA).

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed pediatric cancer information on websites of 72 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-accredited centers.
  • Assessed top 50 internet search results for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma.
  • Utilized Flesch-Kinkaid, Coleman-Liau, and SMOG readability indices.

Main Results:

  • Materials from NCI-accredited centers averaged readability levels from 8.62 to 10.20.
  • 95.6% of cancer center materials failed to meet NIH/AMA guidelines.
  • Top search results averaged readability levels from 10.52 to 11.01, with 98% not meeting guidelines.

Conclusions:

  • Current online pediatric cancer information may be too complex for general understanding.
  • Readability barriers can impede caregivers' ability to make informed healthcare choices.
  • Improving the readability of online resources is essential for effective patient education.
Abstract

Keywords:
patient educational materialspediatric Hodgkin lymphomapediatric leukemiapediatric non‐Hodgkin lymphomareadability

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