title: Literacy levels required to complete routinely used patient-reported outcome measures in rheumatology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the reading levels required to complete patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) commonly used in rheumatology clinical and research settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten PROs written in English were evaluated. Four reviewers critiqued each measure blindly using two standardized readability indexes and a final readability score for each PRO was agreed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only six of the PROs met the recommended reading level for health education literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many people completing PROs will not be able to understand what they are answering and will be unable to give an accurate perspective on their condition.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, Hants SO17 1BJ, UK. ja@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Sarah Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011932:Reading; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*; D057566:Self Report