Comprehension Level–Appropriate Patient Educational Content: An Opportunity for Interventional Radiologists to Create and Demonstrate Value

Abstract

We, interventional radiology (IR) physicians, increasingly strive to inform our patients and involve them in the medical decision making that affects their health care and health outcomes. Today we have before us a confluence of the most compelling reasons we have ever had to ensure that this trend continues. As I shall explain, interventional radiologists should seize the current opportunity to assume primary responsibility for ensuring the availability of comprehension level–appropriate educational materials, as well as meaningful patient engagement in, and satisfaction with, the decisionmaking process. The article by Sadigh et al ( 1 Sadigh G. Hawkins C.M. O’Keefe J.J. Khan R. Duszak Jr, R. Can patients comprehend the educational materials that hospitals provide about common IR procedures?. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2015; 26: 1156-1161 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar ) draws our attention to this critical aspect of value-based health care ( 1 Sadigh G. Hawkins C.M. O’Keefe J.J. Khan R. Duszak Jr, R. Can patients comprehend the educational materials that hospitals provide about common IR procedures?. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2015; 26: 1156-1161 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar ). In the paragraphs below, I shall tie all of these thoughts together. Can Patients Comprehend the Educational Materials that Hospitals Provide about Common IR Procedures?Journal of Vascular and Interventional RadiologyVol. 26Issue 8PreviewTo assess the readability of online education materials offered by hospitals describing commonly performed interventional radiology (IR) procedures. Full-Text PDF