Assessing the Readability of Online English and Spanish Language Patient Education Resources Provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons

Abstract

Introduction The National Institutes of Health recommends that patient education materials (PEMs) be written at the sixth grade level. However, PEMs online are still generally difficult to read. The usefulness of online PEMs depends on their comprehensibility. Objectives This study assessed the readability of PEMs from national Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) organization websites. Methods Patient education materials were collected from 3 prominent PRS organizations—the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), and the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons (ASRM). ASPS PEMs were organized into reconstructive and cosmetic groups, and then further subdivided into English and Spanish subgroups. ASAPS and ASRM PEMs provided cosmetic and reconstructive comparison groups to ASPS, respectively. Readability scores were generated using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and the Spanish SMOG scales. Results Overall, all PEMs failed to meet readability guidelines. Within ASPS, Spanish PEMs were easier to read than English PEMs (P < 0.001), and cosmetic PEMs were easier to read than reconstructive PEMs (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between ASPS cosmetic and ASAPS PEMs (P = 0.36), nor between ASPS reconstructive and ASRM PEMs (P = 0.65). ASAPS and ASRM did not have any Spanish PEMs, and 92% of all ASPS PEMs were in English. Conclusion Although PRS societies strive to better educate the public on the scope of PRS, PRS ranks lowly in public understanding of its role in patient care. In addition, Spanish language PEMs from the 3 PRS organizations are severely lacking. Addressing these concerns will make online patient resources more equitable for various patient populations.