Elizabeth McClure|Jared Ng|Kelly Vitzthum|Rima Rudd
A Mismatch Between Patient Education Materials About Sickle Cell Disease and the Literacy Level of Their Intended Audience
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|Harvard University|Harvard University|Harvard University
despite first goal 2010 national action plan improve health literacy literacy demands much health information exceeds reading skills us adults objective study assess health literacy level publicly available patient education materials people sickle cell disease scdwe used 5 validated tools evaluate 9 print 4 online patient education materials simple measure gobbledygook smog assess reading grade level peter mosenthal irwin kirsch readability formula pmoseikirsch assess structure density patient education materials assessment tool pemat assess actionability well readers know reading material understandability centers disease control preventions cdcs clear communication index index obtain comprehensive literacy demand score printed cancer education materials african americans cultural sensitivity assessment toolmaterials scores reflected high reading levels ranging 8th grade 12th grade appropriate low structural demand low actionability relative understandability cdc suggests appropriate index score fall 90th percentile scores yielded materials evaluated assessment ranged 44th 76th percentiles eight 13 materials scored within acceptable range cultural sensitivityreading levels available patient education materials exceed documented average literacy level us adult population health literacy demands key consideration revision development patient education materials people scd