Readability assessment of British Journal of Dermatology plain language summaries.

Abstract

Plain language summaries (PLSs) are being increasingly implemented and required by regulatory bodies to improve the accessibility of scientific research for the general population. We assessed whether BJD PLSs over 12 issues had been written at a suitable readability level for the general population, based on published guidelines. We found that authors may benefit from increased training or guidance in the production of these worthwhile texts, to further promote patient engagement with the BJD.