title: [Systematic analysis of the readability of patient information on websites of German nonuniversity ENT hospitals].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Besides their function as one of the main contact points, websites of hospitals serve as medical information portals. All patients should be able to understand medical information texts; regardless of their literacy skills and educational level. Online texts should thus have an appropriate structure to ease their comprehension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient information texts on every German nonuniversity ENT hospital website (n = 125) were systematically analysed. For ten different ENT topics a representative medical information text was extracted from each website. Using objective text parameters and five established readability indices, the texts were analysed in terms of their readability and structure. Furthermore, we stratified the analysis in relation to the hospital organisation system and geographical region in Germany.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Texts from 142 internet sites could be used for the definite analysis. On average, texts consisted of 15 sentences and 237 words. Readability indices congruously showed that the analysed texts could generally only be understood by a well-educated or even academic reader.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of patient information texts on German hospital websites are difficult to understand for most patients. In order to fulfil their goal of adequately informing the general population about disease, therapeutic options and the particular focal points of the clinic, a revision of most medical texts on the websites of German ENT hospitals is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie, Uniklinik Köln, 50924, Köln, Deutschland, moritz.meyer@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bacher
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beutner
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Luers
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D032882:Comprehension; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009323:Natural Language Processing; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*