Readability of patient information booklets for women with breast cancer

Abstract

Providing accurate information, in both verbal and written formats, is seen as an important component of patient care. For individuals diagnosed with cancer, acquiring information may be a particularly pertinent issue in terms of coping with the disease. Numerous information booklets are available for people with cancer which aim to provide information on various aspects of care and treatment. This British study examined the readability of 50 information booklets available to women with breast cancer using the SMOG and Flesch reading tests. Generally the information booklets were found to have a high reading age, arguably not suitable for the majority of the United Kingdom (UK) population. This study has implications for health care professionals who provide written information as a supplement or substitute for verbal information.