643: Readability of online patient materials from major obstetrics organizations

Abstract

To assess the readability of obstetrics-related patient education materials from major obstetric organizations and adherence with national recommendations. All online obstetrics-related patient education materials from the websites of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and UpToDate were reviewed. Educational materials were excluded if they were not written in English or were not free, the material was only presented in a pictorial, table, video, or hyperlink format, if the content had insufficient text to analyze, or they were not intended for women in the United States. Patient readability was determined using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. To assess adherence with the readability recommendations put forth by the American Medical Association and the National institutes of Health, the percentage of articles written below sixth-grade level was calculated for each organization. The percent of educational materials written below eighth-grade level was also determined given this is the average reading level in the United States. Two hundred and thirty-two obstetrics-related patient education materials from five organizations were reviewed. The median number of patient education materials per organization was 55 (range 12-60). The median reading level was 8.1 (range 2.2-17.2) with 3% and 45% of patient educational materials written below the sixth- and eighth-grade reading level, respectively. Online obstetric patient education materials from most national organizations are written at a level above what is expected for the average patient. These medical organizations provide reliable and accessible information for providers and patients but often deliver content above the recommended level of readability. Ongoing efforts to improve delivery of understandable patient educational materials are needed.