title: Readability Assessment of Internet-Based Patient Education Materials Related to Parathyroid Surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient education is critical in obtaining informed consent and reducing preoperative anxiety. Written patient education material (PEM) can supplement verbal communication to improve understanding and satisfaction. Published guidelines recommend that health information be presented at or below a sixth-grade reading level to facilitate comprehension. We investigate the grade level of online PEMs regarding parathyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A popular internet search engine was used to identify PEM discussing parathyroid surgery. Four formulas were used to calculate readability scores: Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty web-based articles discussing parathyroid surgery were identified. The average FRE score was 42.8 (±1 standard deviation [SD] 16.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 36.6-48.8; range, 6.1-71.3). The average FKGL score was 11.7 (±1 SD 3.3; 95% CI, 10.5-12.9; range, 6.1-19.0). The SMOG scores averaged 14.2 (±1 SD 2.6; 95% CI, 13.2-15.2; range, 10.7-21.9), and the GFOG scores averaged 15.0 (±1 SD 3.5; 95% CI, 13.7-16.3; range, 10.6-24.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online PEM on parathyroid surgery is written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Improving readability of PEM may promote better health education and compliance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Chirag R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Saurin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanghvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Deepa V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cherla
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Soly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baredes
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA Department of Neurological Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA jean.anderson.eloy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jean Anderson
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eloy
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010279:Parathyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016105:Parathyroidectomy; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011932:Reading; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013664:Teaching Materials / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
keywords: Flesch Reading Ease; Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level; health information; parathyroid surgery; patient education material; readability