title: Are we failing to communicate? Internet-based patient education materials and radiation safety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients frequently turn to the Internet when seeking answers to healthcare related inquiries including questions about the effects of radiation when undergoing radiologic studies. We investigate the readability of online patient education materials concerning radiation safety from multiple Internet resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient education material regarding radiation safety was downloaded from 8 different websites encompassing: (1) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2) the Environmental Protection Agency, (3) the European Society of Radiology, (4) the Food and Drug Administration, (5) the Mayo Clinic, (6) MedlinePlus, (7) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and (8) the Society of Pediatric Radiology. From these 8 resources, a total of 45 articles were analyzed for their level of readability using 10 different readability scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 45 articles had a level of readability ranging from 9.4 to the 17.2 grade level. Only 3/45 (6.7%) were written below the 10th grade level. No statistical difference was seen between the readability level of the 8 different websites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All 45 articles from all 8 websites failed to meet the recommendations set forth by the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association that patient education resources be written between the 3rd and 7th grade level. Rewriting the patient education resources on radiation safety from each of these 8 websites would help many consumers of healthcare information adequately comprehend such material.
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: hansbedr@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Hansberry
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: ramchate@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Tekchand
authors: T
authors: Ramchand
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: patel288@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Shyam
authors: S
authors: Patel
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: krauscf@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Kraus
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: jungjk@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Jung
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: nitin.agarwal@rutgers.edu.
authors: Nitin
authors: N
authors: Agarwal
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: gonzalsh@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Sharon F
authors: SF
authors: Gonzales
authors: Department of Radiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 150 Bergen Street, Room C320, Newark, NJ 07109, United States. Electronic address: bakersr@njms.rutgers.edu.
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States
keywords: Health literacy; Patient education; Radiation safety; Radiology; Readability