title: Readability assessment of online tracheostomy care resources.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the readability of online tracheostomy care resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Google search was performed for "tracheostomy care" in January 2014. The top 50 results were categorized into major versus minor websites and patient-oriented versus professional-oriented resources. These websites were evaluated with the following readability tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Readability scores for the websites were FRES 57.21 ± 16.71 (possible range = 0-100), FKGL 8.33 ± 2.84 (possible range = 3-12), SMOG 11.25 ± 2.49 (possible range = 3-19), and GFOG 11.43 ± 4.07 (possible range = 3-19). There was no significant difference in all 4 readability scores between major (n = 41) and minor (n = 9) websites. Professional-oriented websites (n = 19) had the following readability scores: FRES 40.77 ± 11.69, FKGL 10.93 ± 2.48, SMOG 13.29 ± 2.32, and GFOG 14.91 ± 3.98. Patient-oriented websites (n = 31) had the following readability scores: FRES 67.29 ± 9.91, FKGL 6.73 ± 1.61, SMOG 10.01 ± 1.64, and GFOG 9.30 ± 2.27. Professional-oriented websites had more difficult readability scores than patient-oriented websites for FRES (P < .00), FKGL (P < .00), SMOG (P < .00), and GFOG (P < .00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online tracheostomy care resources were written at a level more difficult than the recommended fourth- to sixth-grade level for written health information. There was no significant difference in readability between major and minor websites. Professional-oriented websites were more difficult to read than patient-oriented websites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Keonho Albert
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA amanda.cm.hu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011932:Reading; D057386:Search Engine; D012648:Self Care; D014139:Tracheostomy
keywords: Flesch Reading Ease Score; Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level; Internet; patient education; readability; tracheostomy