Author(s)
Shreya Bhalla, BS
Lauren Bancalari
Justin McCormick, MD
Affiliation(s)
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School;
Abstract:
Objective: An increasing number of patients are electing to undergo balloon sinuplasty for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis due to its minimally invasive nature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability and understandability of online patient education materials related to balloon sinuplasty.
Methods: A Google search was performed using 6 different search terms related to balloon sinuplasty. Relevant websites related to patient education materials for balloon sinuplasty were included. Four different measures of readability- were utilized to assess the readability of each website: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE), Gunning-Fog Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. Understandability was determined using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT).
Results: Sixty-eight online patient education materials related to balloon sinuplasty were included. The average FKGL was 8.54 ± 2.7, which is higher than the recommended grade reading level for patient materials. The average FKRE was 48.44 ± 2.7, indicating they were difficult for the general public to read. The mean PEMAT was 45.3 ± 17.41% which is lower than the accepted standard of 80%, which indicates materials are not readily understandable. Materials from private medical clinics made up 61.8% of the sample (n=42).
Discussion: The majority of online patient materials related to balloon sinuplasty are written above the recommended 6th grade reading level. Poor readability was seen across all readability measures and all material categories. Patients and clinicians alike should be aware of the shortcomings of online materials and consider the effects on patient understanding and decision making.