Question

How do you determine the reading level of patient materials and if a patient can read health information they have been given?

Answer 1

Ans) Effective patient centered communication is a challenging goal.

- Given the abundance of existing patient education materials, it is virtually impossible to test all documents using currently available readability assessment tools.

- However, by raising the awareness among healthcare providers regarding the importance of matching the complexity of health education material to the patient’s level of health literacy, substantial gains in effective patient-centered communication can be made.

- Government sponsored organizations such as the CDC have played a pivotal role in bringing such issues to the forefront and can hopefully continue to spearhead such efforts.

- Organizations such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and various specialty organizations already have patient education materials available on their websites and can champion such cause using above noted guidelines. Similarly, editors of medical journals could require authors to submit an abbreviated online version with easier readability to be available for online access to all.

-, Thus by using a multifaceted approach with judicious use of the available tools to enhance the readability and comprehension of health-related materials, clinicians can further improve communication with their patients and hopefully enhance clinical outcome.