Evaluation of the Readability of Online Turkish-Language Patient Education Materials on Congenital Hearing Loss

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the readability of online patient education resources on congenital hearing loss written in Turkish. Materials and Methods: We used Google Search to identify Patient Education Materials (PEM) for “congenital hearing loss”. A total of 50 websites were included initially, but after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 20 websites were analyzed. We divided these into two categories: Health Professionals and General Websites. The readability of the materials was calculated using the Ateşman readability formula. Results: The mean Ateşman readability score was 61.78±13.03. Health professional websites had a mean score of 68.69±9.8, while general websites had a mean score of 53.33±11.74. Health professionals websites were found to be easier to read than the General websites (P=0.009). There were 6 easy-level articles, all of which were from health professional websites. Four articles were of a hard level and all were general websites. The remaining 10 articles were of intermediate level. Conclusion: Although many online resources are available to provide information about congenital hearing loss, the readability level of these sources is above the easy-to-read level. To better serve parents and affected individuals, these resources should be revised to enhance their readability. Health professionals, in particular, have an opportunity to contribute more comprehensible materials.

Keywords

• Congenital hearing loss
• patient education materials
• readability score
• ateşman readability formula

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