Assessment of the Readability of the Online Patient Education Materials of Intensive and Critical Care Societies

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the readability of patient education materials (PEMs) on websites of intensive and critical care societies. DATA SOURCES: Websites of intensive and critical care societies, which are members of The World Federation of Intensive and Critical Care and The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. SETTING: Cross-sectional observational, internet-based, website, PEMs, readability study. STUDY SELECTION: The readability of the PEMs available on societies’ sites was evaluated. DATA EXTRACTION: The readability formulas used were the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Fog (GFOG). DATA SYNTHESIS: One hundred twenty-seven PEM from 11 different societies were included in our study. In the readability analysis of PEM, the FRES was 58.10 (48.85–63.77) (difficult), the mean FKGL and SMOG were 10.19 (8.93–11.72) and 11.10 (10.11–11.87) years, respectively, and the mean GFOG score was 12.73 (11.37–14.15) (very difficult). All readability formula results were significantly higher than the recommended sixth-grade level (p < 0.001). All PEMs were above the sixth-grade level when the societies were evaluated individually according to all readability results (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the sixth-grade level recommended by the American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health, the readability of PEMs in intensive and critical care societies is relatively high. PEMs in intensive and critical care societies should be prepared with attention to recommendations on readability.