PROJECT SUMMARY

Testing The Readability of Patient and Public Education Materials Concerning the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Supported by:

The Foundation for Advances in Medicine and Science, Inc.
111 Oweno Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430

Background

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of adults in the United States and is a major health problem world-wide. While we do not have, at present, complete answers concerning the prevention of cardiovascular disease, or a fool-proof cure, physicians and scientists have identified certain factors which can reduce the risk of serious heart disease and treatments which can curb damage to the heart and alleviate the symptoms of cardiac conditions.

The success of prescribed treatment often depends upon the cooperation and understanding of the patient and his/her family. Programs aimed at reducing behaviors which can produce a greater susceptibility to cardiovascular disease will be effective only if the educational materials can be understood and remembered by readers, and are effective in motivating appropriate behavioral change or reinforcing positive behavior. Thus, suitable written materials become a very important aspect of patient care and cardiovascular disease prevention.

Current statistics indicate that the population at high risk for cardiovascular disease includes not only the highly stressed white collar worker and the individual with a family history of cardiovascular disease, but also individuals in low socio-economic groups and various ethnic origins.

Are the general education materials, the patient education materials, and the written or verbal communications from the physician effective in communicating with individuals from a variety of educational levels, national origins, or ethnic backgrounds? Can guidelines be developed which will help ensure that educational material is appropriate for use with a targeted individual or group? These are the two main questions which will be explored in this study.

Study Objectives

To determine the readability of patient and general education materials currently produced by a variety of sources.
To develop practical guidelines which can be used by those producing materials to ascertain whether copy and presentation are the most effective for the targeted audience.

Methodology

Patient and general education materials concerning prevention and treatment of heart disease will be gathered from the following sources: (1) pharmaceutical companies, (2) hospitals, (3) outpatient clinics, (4) health education organizations, and (5) physicians. Readability will be tested using a formula which determines the reading level of a copy sample (300 words or more) from the booklet, leaflet, flyer, etc. The average word and sentence length is calculated for each copy sample and is interpreted using a standard table. Results are expressed in “reading age” levels - the lowest age at which a child attending school, would have developed the reading skills required to read the text.

A sample of patients and others who have used the materials being tested will be interviewed to determine comprehension, interest level, and retention of the material presented. Input concerning the material’s general format and visual presentation will also be obtained. These findings will then be correlated with the education level of the respondent and the “reading age” level of the publication being evaluated.

The Study’s Impact on Programs Concerning Education, Prevention, and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Studies indicate that poor communication may be a major stumbling block in increasing the positive relationship between advances in medicine and the improvement of public health. Effective communication among medical staff, the patient, and family members is vital at all stages of the treatment and secondary prevention of heart disease. It is also crucial to programs which seek to prevent cardiovascular disease through education and behavior modification. Educational materials must be designed to achieve a measurable objective, specified in advance, in a defined target audience.

However, precise and practical readability guidelines are not currently available to those producing materials for a variety of publics. This study seeks to determine the average work and sentence length appropriate for certain target populations (in diverse socio-economic groups and of varying educational backgrounds) as well as the most successful publication format and length. The findings will then be distilled into a set of guidelines which can be used to evaluate the suitability of educational materials before they are published. These guidelines will be distributed by the Foundation for Advances in Medicine and Science (FAMS) to publishers and users of health education materials. Publishers will be encouraged to indicate the readability level on all of their educational publications.

To ensure the best possible communication with the general public and with patients, those involved with the preparation of health education materials must evaluate them as carefully as marketing analysts evaluate advertisements and mass media messages. The establishment and dissemination of practical, easy-to-use readability guidelines will produce an important tool for such evaluation.