Readability of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Patient Education Tool

Abstract

Introduction: 

Online educational materials have become a fundamental resource for orthopaedic surgery patients; however, they are frequently written at a high level of reading ability and are too complicated for some patients to understand. The aim of this study was to appraise the readability of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) patient education materials.

Methods: 

All forty-one articles on the OTA patient education website (https://ota.org/for-patients) were analyzed for readability. Readability scores were calculated by two independent reviewers using the (1) Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and the (2) Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) algorithms. Mean readability scores were compared across anatomic categories. One-sample t-test was done to compare mean FKGL with the recommended 6^th-grade readability level and the average American adult reading level.

Results: 

The average (SD) FKGL of the 41 OTA articles was 8.15 (1.14). The average (SD) FRE for the OTA patient education materials was 65.5 (6.60). Four (11%) of the articles were at or below a 6^th-grade reading level. The average readability of the OTA articles was significantly higher than the recommended 6^th-grade level (p < 0.001, 95% CI [7.79 – 8.51]). The average readability of the OTA articles was not significantly different from the average 8^th-grade reading skill level of U.S. adults (p = 0.41, 95% CI [7.79 – 8.51]).

Conclusion: 

Our findings suggest that despite the majority of the OTA patient education materials having readability levels suitable for the average US adult, these reading materials are still above the recommended 6^th-grade level and may be too difficult for patient comprehension.