TY - JOUR
T1 - Readability Analysis and Accessibility of Online Materials About Transgender Voice Care
AU - Magrath, Walker J.
AU - Shneyderman, Matthew
AU - Bauer, Tom K.
AU - Neira, Paula
AU - Best, Simon
AU - Akst, Lee M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2022.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Objective: To determine readability, understandability, and actionability of online health information related to transgender voice care. Study Design: Review of online materials. Setting: Academic medical center. Methods: A Google search of “transgender voice care” was performed with the first 50 websites meeting inclusion criteria included. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Understandability and actionability were measured by 2 independent reviewers using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P). Unpaired t tests were used to compare clinician- and patient-oriented sites, surgical and nonsurgical sites, and sites that discuss nonbinary indications for voice care. Analysis of variance was used to compare sites that discuss voice feminization, masculinization, both, or neither. Results: Average scores across the cohort for FRES, FKGL, and SMOG were 43.77 ± 13.52, 12.14 ± 2.66, and 11.30 ± 1.93, respectively, indicating materials were above a 12th-grade reading level. PEMAT-P scores for understandability and actionability were 64.95% ± 15.78% and 40.55% ± 23.86%, respectively. Patient-oriented sites were significantly more understandable and actionable than clinician-oriented sites (P <.02). Websites that discussed only voice feminization were significantly more readable according to objective metrics (FKGL, SMOG) than websites that discussed both feminization and masculinization or those that did not differentiate care types (P <.05). Conclusion: Online information written about transgender voice care is written at a level above what is recommended for patient education materials. Providers may improve accessibility of transgender voice care by enhancing readability of online materials.
AB - Objective: To determine readability, understandability, and actionability of online health information related to transgender voice care. Study Design: Review of online materials. Setting: Academic medical center. Methods: A Google search of “transgender voice care” was performed with the first 50 websites meeting inclusion criteria included. Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Understandability and actionability were measured by 2 independent reviewers using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P). Unpaired t tests were used to compare clinician- and patient-oriented sites, surgical and nonsurgical sites, and sites that discuss nonbinary indications for voice care. Analysis of variance was used to compare sites that discuss voice feminization, masculinization, both, or neither. Results: Average scores across the cohort for FRES, FKGL, and SMOG were 43.77 ± 13.52, 12.14 ± 2.66, and 11.30 ± 1.93, respectively, indicating materials were above a 12th-grade reading level. PEMAT-P scores for understandability and actionability were 64.95% ± 15.78% and 40.55% ± 23.86%, respectively. Patient-oriented sites were significantly more understandable and actionable than clinician-oriented sites (P <.02). Websites that discussed only voice feminization were significantly more readable according to objective metrics (FKGL, SMOG) than websites that discussed both feminization and masculinization or those that did not differentiate care types (P <.05). Conclusion: Online information written about transgender voice care is written at a level above what is recommended for patient education materials. Providers may improve accessibility of transgender voice care by enhancing readability of online materials.
KW - Flesch Reading Ease Score
KW - Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
KW - Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials
KW - readability
KW - transgender
KW - voice surgery
KW - voice therapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131534467&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85131534467&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01945998221103466
DO - 10.1177/01945998221103466
M3 - Article
C2 - 35671144
AN - SCOPUS:85131534467
SN - 0194-5998
VL - 167
SP - 952
EP - 958
JO - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
JF - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
IS - 6
ER -