Readability and quality of breast reduction on-line resources

Publication date: Available online 4 September 2018

Source: Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

Author(s): AM Kennedy, C Davidson, E Cronin, R Caulfield

Summary

Many patients are now using the Internet as a resource for health-related information. It is recommended that the readability of patient education materials should be equal to or less than an 11-13-year-old reading level.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability and quality of websites related to breast reduction.

The largest internet search engine was queried for 'breast reduction'. 112 articles from the ten most popular websites were downloaded for analysis. Results from the private cosmetic industry were excluded. Articles were assessed for readability using 10 validated readability tools and for quality using the DISCERN instrument.

The mean reading level of all websites was that of of a 16-17 year-old. The BAAPS, BAPRAS and NHS websites all exceeded the recommended reading level (all greater than a 14-year old reading level).

The highest quality website was NHS Choices with a DISCERN score of 75. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery website received the lowest quality score of 36.

There was a statistically significant strong negative correlation between the DISCERN score and reading age, implying that higher quality websites are more likely to achieve the recommended 11-13-year old reading level.

Online patient resources about breast reduction are uniformly above the recommended target readability level and are likely too difficult for many patients to understand. The results of this study could enable surgeons to recommend sources of information for patients considering breast reduction as well as helping patients to evaluate the quality of medical information available on the Internet.