Complicating the already complex? Readability scores in bladder exstrophy and its treatment

Haffar, Ahmad; Morrill, Christian; Garcia, Adelaide; Werner, Zachary; Crigger, Chad; Gearhart, John P.

doi:10.3389/fruro.2022.1044639

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…These results align with the authors' previous findings regarding the readability of classic bladder exstrophy patient education material. 23 Unfortunately, there were no webpages that achieved the goal 6th grade reading level. Two webpages (Urology Care Foundation and Cincinnati Children's Hospital) were found to be at an 8th grade reading level.…”

Section: Discussion and Conclusion Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clear as Mud: Readability Scores in Cloacal Exstrophy Literature and Its Treatment

Haffar,

Hirsch,

Morrill

et al. 2024

RRU

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This study examines the readability of online medical information regarding cloacal exstrophy (CE). We hypothesize that inappropriate levels of comprehension are required in these resources, leading to poor understanding and confusion amongst caregivers. Methods: The Google and Bing search engines were used to search the terms "cloacal exstrophy" and "cloacal exstrophy treatment". The first 100 results for each were collected. Each webpage was analyzed for readability using four independent validated scoring systems: the Gunning-Fog index (GFI), SMOG grade (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook), Dale-Chall index (DCI), and the Flesch-Kincaid grade (FKG). Results: Forty-seven unique webpages fit the inclusion criteria. Mean readability scores across all websites were GFI, 14.6; SMOG score, 10.8; DCI, 9.3; and FKG, 11.8, correlating to adjusted grade levels of college sophomore, 11th grade, college, and 11th grade, respectively. There were significant differences across all readability formulas. Non-profit websites were significantly less readable than institutional and commercial webpages (GFI p = 0.012, SMOG p = 0.018, DCI p = 0.021, FKG p = 0.0093). Conclusion: Caregiver-directed health information regarding CE and its treatment available online is written at the 11th grade reading level or above. Online resources pertaining to CE must be simplified to be effective.Plain Language Summary: Cloacal exstrophy is a rare severe birth defect that does not always show up in prenatal screening. Parents are often unfamiliar with this disease and must learn about the disease, procedures, and outcomes their child may have in a short amount of time. Online medical information has been recommended to be written at a 6th grade reading level so that the general public may understand. The authors of this study wanted to investigate if average websites that parents might find using common search engines would be easily understood. The authors used different search phrases on Google and Bing search engines, and used them to look at the top 100 search results for each. The text from each page was graded based on 4 different readability scoring systems. The authors found 47 unique webpages that matched the criteria and found that most pages had reading levels of about 11th grade-college level. Due to its rarity, the information available about cloacal exstrophy are similar and would likely be poorly understood by most parents. Hospital institutions and non-profit exstrophy programs need to make a concerted effort to work together to develop simple yet helpful information regarding this disease.

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Section: Discussion and Conclusion Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clear as Mud: Readability Scores in Cloacal Exstrophy Literature and Its Treatment

Haffar,

Hirsch,

Morrill

et al. 2024

RRU

Self Cite

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Lessons to be learned when designing comprehensible patient‐oriented online information about temporomandibular disorders

Uzunçıbuk,

Marrapodi,

Ronsivalle

et al. 2024

J of Oral Rehabilitation

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BackgroundTemporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a prevalent ailment with a global impact, affecting a substantial number of individuals. While some individuals are receiving treatment from orthodontists for TMD, a significant proportion of individuals obtain knowledge through websites.ObjectivesOur purpose had been to evaluate, from a patient‐oriented perspective, the readability of home pages of websites scored in the 10 most prominent devoted to TMD. We also determined what level of education would have been needed to get an overview of the information on the websites under scrutiny. This approach ensures that our findings are centred on the patient experience, providing insights into how accessible and understandable websites about TMD.MethodsWe determined the top 10 patient‐focused English language websites by searching for ‘temporomandibular disorders’ in the ‘no country redirect’ plugin of the Google Chrome browser (www.google.com/ncr). The readability of the texts was assessed using the Gunning fog index (GFI), Coleman Liau index (CLI), Automated readability index (ARI) Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Flesch Kincald grade level (FKGL), Flesh reasing ease (FRE) (https://readabilityformulas.com).ResultsThe mean Flesch reading ease index score was determined to be 48.67, accompanied by a standard deviation of 15.04 and these websites require an average of 13.49 years of formal education (GFI), with a standard deviation of 2.62, for ease of understanding.ConclusionOur research indicates that a significant proportion of websites related to TMD can be defined as a level of complexity that exceeds the ability to read comprehension of the general population.

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Current management of classic bladder exstrophy in the modern era

et al. 2023

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Background Classic bladder exstrophy is a complex, multi-system congenital malformation affecting formation of the genitourinary system, pelvis, and abdominal wall. Main body Historically children with this abnormality were consigned to poor outcomes and quality of life. Modern advancements in the diagnosis and management of this disorder have resulted in low mortality rates and shifted clinical focus toward optimizing quality of life. Conclusion Modern techniques in addition to recent discoveries in the diagnosis and delayed management of this disorder have enabled high rates of urinary continence, genital cosmesis, and an improved quality of life. This is an updated overview of the pathology, diagnosis, and management of this rare disorder.

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Complicating the already complex? Readability scores in bladder exstrophy and its treatment

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Clear as Mud: Readability Scores in Cloacal Exstrophy Literature and Its Treatment

Clear as Mud: Readability Scores in Cloacal Exstrophy Literature and Its Treatment

Lessons to be learned when designing comprehensible patient‐oriented online information about temporomandibular disorders

Current management of classic bladder exstrophy in the modern era

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