Dataset Information

Readability of online monkeypox patient education materials: Improved recognition of health literacy is needed for dissemination of infectious disease information.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Health literacy is key to navigating the current global epidemic of misinformation and inaccuracy relating to healthcare. The American Medical Association (AMA) suggests health information should be written at the level of American sixth grade. With the monkeypox outbreak being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022, we sought to assess the readability of online patient education materials (PEMs) relating to monkeypox to see if they are at the target level of readability.

Methods

A search was conducted on Google.com using the search term 'Monkeypox'. The top 50 English language webpages with patient education materials (PEMs) relating to monkeypox were compiled and categorised by country of publication and URL domain. Readability was assessed using five readability tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index (SMOG). Unpaired t-test for URL domain, and one-way ANOVA for country were performed to determine influence on readability.

Results

Three of the five tools (FRES, GFI, CLI) identified no webpages that met the target readability score. The FKGL and SMOG tools identified one (2%) and two (4%) webpages respectively that met the target level. County and URL domain demonstrated no influence on readability.

Conclusion

Online PEMs relating to monkeypox are written above the recommended reading level. Based on the previously established effect of health literacy, this is likely exacerbating health inequalities. This study highlights the need for readability to be considered when publishing online PEMs.

SUBMITTER: Frost JC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9770025 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Readability of online monkeypox patient education materials: Improved recognition of health literacy is needed for dissemination of infectious disease information.

Frost Jessica C JC Baldwin Alexander J AJ

Infection, disease & health 20221221 2

<h4>Background</h4>Health literacy is key to navigating the current global epidemic of misinformation and inaccuracy relating to healthcare. The American Medical Association (AMA) suggests health information should be written at the level of American sixth grade. With the monkeypox outbreak being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022, we sought to assess the readability of online patient education materials (PEMs) relating to monkeypox to see if they ar ...[more]

PMID: 36564245

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Project description:ObjectivesTo assess the readability of printed education materials (PEMs) for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to explore the perceptions of patients with SLE with different health literacy regarding the readability of PEMs.DesignA mixed-methods study, including a cross-sectional survey and semistructured interviews.SettingThe SLE PEMs were collected from 13 hospitals in China. The interviews were conducted in the Department of Rheumatology of a hospital in Hefei, China.ParticipantsIn the cross-sectional survey, convenience sampling was used to select the Chinese SLE PEMs, with 20 PEMs included. In the qualitative study, the patients with SLE were divided into two groups based on their health literacy. Then, purposive sampling was used to select participants in each group, with 18 patients recruited.Outcome measuresThe readability of PEMs was assessed by the language analysis technology and the Chinese version of the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM-C) instrument.ResultsFor text factors of readability, the mean Chinese language difficulty coefficient was 67.09±8.03, which indicates that the text of PEMs was difficult to read. For non-text factors, the mean SAM-C score was 45.62±9.51. Eight PEMs were rated not suitable, 12 were adequate and none were superior. In the interviews, eight categories were identified: information source, content, actionability, plain language, pictures, tables, numbers and layout. Patients with different health literacy had discrepant views on the detail of basic information, the necessity of question list, the location of functional pictures and the application of mathematical symbols.ConclusionsThe readability of Chinese SLE PEMs does not perform well, and it is necessary to reduce the difficulty of words, shorten the length of sentences and improve the picture design and actionability. To develop PEMs tailored to patients' level of health literacy, patients' unique view of readability should be integrated into the design of PEMs.

Dataset Information

Readability of online monkeypox patient education materials: Improved recognition of health literacy is needed for dissemination of infectious disease information.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Readability of online monkeypox patient education materials: Improved recognition of health literacy is needed for dissemination of infectious disease information.

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