title: Readability and quality assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to laryngeal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients are increasingly using the internet to access health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability and quality of laryngeal cancer-related websites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient education materials were identified by performing an internet search using 3 search engines. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The DISCERN instrument was utilized to assess quality of health information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 54 websites were included in the analysis. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 48.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.8-51.6); FKGL, 10.9 (95% CI = 10.3-11.5); and GFI, 13.8 (95% CI = 11.3-16.3). These scores suggest that, on average, online information about patients with laryngeal cancer is written at an advanced level. The mean DISCERN score was 49.8 (95% CI = 45.4-54.2), suggesting that online information is of variable quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests much of the laryngeal cancer information available online is of suboptimal quality and written at a level too difficult for the average adult to read comfortably.
authors.affiliation: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Narwani
authors.affiliation: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Keerthana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nalamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Luton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Prasad
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kothari
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lakhani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032882:Comprehension; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards*; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D058753:Laryngoplasty; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D010361:Patients; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011932:Reading
keywords: internet; laryngeal cancer; patient information; quality; readability