MP15-19 CAN PATIENTS UNDERSTAND INFORMATION ABOUT BPH ON THE INTERNET? A READABILITY ANALYSIS

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Quality of Life1 Apr 2014MP15-19 CAN PATIENTS UNDERSTAND INFORMATION ABOUT BPH ON THE INTERNET? A READABILITY ANALYSIS Kevin Koo and Ronald Yap Kevin KooKevin Koo More articles by this author and Ronald YapRonald Yap More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.572AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a highly prevalent condition in older men, with millions of affected individuals seeking health information online. Information about BPH is widely available on the Internet, but little is known about whether the average adult with a grade 8 reading level can comprehend it. This study systematically examines information about BPH treatment on the Internet to evaluate its readability. METHODS Three search engines representing 96% of Internet search traffic (Google, Bing, and Yahoo!) were queried for the keywords, "benign prostatic hyperplasia," "prostate enlargement," and "BPH." To account for variability in results among searches, the top 100 results were recorded daily for one month. Websites that were duplicates, non-English, or not primarily about BPH were excluded. For each website, the domain, owner, and Health on the Net "HONcode" certification status were recorded. Text addressing BPH treatment was subjected to 3 readability analyses: SMOG index, a standard metric for evaluating consumer health material; Dale-Chall Readability Formula, which assesses sentence length and vocabulary difficulty; and the Fry graph, which plots the mean number of sentences against the mean number of syllables, per 100 words. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata. RESULTS Of 373 links returned in the queries, 52 websites met inclusion criteria (Table). Mean SMOG index was 10.6 (SD=1.4), equal to a grade 11 reading level. Mean Dale-Chall score overall was 9.1 (SD=0.6), equal to a grade 13-15 or college reading level. On the Fry readability graph, the mean coordinates (173 syllables, 5.1 sentences) represent a grade 15 or college reading level. Based on SMOG indices, only 7 sites (13%) were written at or below the average U.S. adult's grade 8 reading level; none of the sites was at this level using the Dale-Chall or Fry tests. SMOG indices were significantly lower for commercial vs. academic sites (10.2 vs. 11.0, p=0.030) and for HONcode-certified vs. non-certified sites (10.0 vs. 10.8, p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS Based on 3 readability analyses, online information about BPH treatment is written at a grade level exceeding the reading ability of most adult Americans. To improve patients' understanding about BPH, websites should target easier readability that facilitates greater comprehension. Table. Readability Characteristics of Websites Presenting Information on BPH n = 52 % SMOG Mean Dale-Chall Mean Dale-Chall Grade Ownership Commercial 18 34.6 10.2 9.0 13-15 Academic 15 28.8 11.0 9.3 13-15 Private Practice 7 13.5 10.4 9.0 13-15 Non-Government Organization 6 11.5 10.6 9.3 13-15 Government 2 3.8 11.0 8.9 11-12 Other 4 7.7 10.9 9.3 13-15 Health on the Net (HONcode) Certification Certified 14 26.9 10.8 9.2 13-15 Non-Certified 38 73.1 10.0 9.0 13-15 © 2014FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 191Issue 4SApril 2014Page: e152 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2014MetricsAuthor Information Kevin Koo More articles by this author Ronald Yap More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...