Evaluation of a patient information booklet

Area of Science:

• Health Education
• Patient Comprehension
• Surgical Care

Background:

• Preoperative teaching is crucial for surgical patients.
• Printed health information is increasingly used for consistency.
• Patient understanding of educational materials is essential for effective teaching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate surgical patient comprehension of a specific preoperative educational booklet.
• To determine the readability and understandability of patient education materials.

Main Methods:

• A Cloze test was utilized to assess comprehension.
• The study focused on a booklet designed at a fifth-grade reading level.
• Surgical patients were the subjects of the comprehension assessment.

Main Results:

• 84% of patients scored above 56% on the Cloze test, indicating independent comprehension.
• 10% of patients scored between 44% and 56%, suggesting a need for assistance.
• 6% of patients scored below 44%, indicating they could not comprehend the material.

Conclusions:

• The majority of surgical patients can understand preoperative educational materials at a fifth-grade reading level.
• A small percentage of patients may require additional support for comprehension.
• Ensuring appropriate reading levels in patient education is vital for effective preoperative teaching.