Abstract
Purpose :
Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is a popular ophthalmic procedure many patients with poor eyesight consider getting. With the easy accessibility of the internet, many patients will use it gain more knowledge about the procedure and determine whether they should get it or not. However, there Is scant information on how easy it is for patients to easily understand online patient educational materials (PEM). The goal of this study was to analyze the readability of online PEM on LASIK.
Methods :
Using the google search engine, the term “LASIK” was searched, and the top 10 results were picked for analysis. Results that meant for medical professionals and results containing extraneous text not pertinent to the procedure were excluded. The body of text from each website was then analyzed using ten validated tests for readability assessment: Flesch Reading Ease Test (FRE), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), New Dale-Chall Readability (NDC), FORCAST, Fry Graph Readability (FG), Raygor Readability Estimate (RRE), and New Fog Count (NFC).
Results :
The mean (SD) readability scores were 46 (10.2), 11.2 (2.1), 13.3 (1.6), 11.7 (1.7), 13.5 (2.0), 11.6 (2.5), 11.4 (0.5), 13 (2.7), 12 (2.8), 9.9 (1.9) for FRE, FKGL, SMOG, CLI, GFI, NDC, FORCAST, FG, RRE, and NFC, respectively. All ten of the mean readability scores were well above the fourth to sixth grade reading level as recommended by the National Institute of Health and the American Medical Association for PEM.
Conclusions :
These findings demonstrate that the average patient would have difficulty comprehending PEM based on LASIK, thus hindering their ability to make informed decisions on whether they should get the procedure. It’s crucial that healthcare workers consider spending more time in designing PEM that’s easily understandable as this will lead to better outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.