ERIC Number: EJ1072130
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: N/A
Quality Assessment of Diabetes Online Patient Education Materials from Academic Institutions
Dorcely, Brenda; Agarwal, Nitin; Raghuwanshi, Maya
Health Education Journal, v74 n5 p568-577 Sep 2015
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the readability of type 2 diabetes online patient education materials from academic institutions in the northeast USA and the American Diabetes Association. Many US residents utilise the Internet to obtain health information. Studies have shown that online patient education materials are often written above the recommended fifth grade reading level, and this may pertain to diabetes health information as well. As diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the USA and glycaemic control is related to health literacy, the readability of diabetic health information is pertinent. Methods: Many academic institutions provide type 2 diabetes online health information. A readability analysis was conducted of materials on the websites of academic institutions or affiliate hospitals with endocrinology fellowships in the northeast USA, and from the American Diabetes Association, using 10 quantitative scales: the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, the Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, the New Dale-Chall Test, the Coleman-Liau Index, the New Fog Count, the Raygor Readability Estimate, the FORCAST test and the Fry Graph. Results: On average, northeast US academic institutions prepared their online diabetes patient education materials at above a 10th grade reading level. Conclusion: The readability of type 2 diabetes patient health information from academic websites is too difficult. It may benefit people with diabetes for future patient education materials to be prepared at lower reading grade levels.
Descriptors: Diabetes, Patient Education, Health Materials, Web Sites, Universities, Hospitals, Readability, Literacy, Health Promotion, Measurement, Scores
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Dale Chall Readability Formula; Flesch Kincaid Grade Level Formula; Fry Readability Formula
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A