The complexity of online patient education materials for wound care strategies: A readability analysis

Abstract

Background: In the United States, over 6 million people are affected by chronic wounds. Patients often rely on the Internet for treatment information; however, these educational materials typically exceed the average eighth-grade health literacy level. This study aimed to assess the readability and language accessibility of online patient education materials on wound care strategies.

Methods: A search was conducted on Google for articles related to wound care strategies. The first 12 unique websites from each search strategy were selected for further analysis. Readability was assessed using 11 tests, with the mean scores calculated for each.

Results: A total of 66 articles pertaining to wound care strategies were retrieved from 43 websites. All articles had an average reading grade level of 13.5 ± 2.5 and an average reading age of 18.7 ± 2.5 years. Websites were categorized by the following sources: academic (34.9%), reagent/biologic manufacturers (27.9%), wound care (18.6%), news media organizations (14%), and other (4.7%). Flesch Reading Ease Score, graded from 0 for most difficult to 100 for least difficult, was found to be highest for academic websites (44.2, P = .01) and lowest for news media websites (24.9, P = .01). Academic websites were available in the more languages compared to all other website categories (P < .01).

Conclusion: Online materials related to wound care strategies often exceed the National Institute of Health recommended eighth-grade reading level. This study emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to create more accessible educational materials to address the gap in health literacy and optimize patient care.