Health Literacy
Conditions
Keywords
readability, patient understanding
Brief summary
The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if participants are better able to understand medical handouts written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to those written at above a sixth grade reading level. The main question it aims to answer is: • Do participants score higher on a knowledge test after reading a handout written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to after reading a handout written at above a sixth grade reading level? Researchers will compare knowledge scores on pelvic organ prolapse after participants read a handout written at an eight grade reading level compared to the same handout re-written to be at a fifth grade reading level. Participants will: * Read a one page handout (written at either above or below a sixth grade reading level) on pelvic organ prolapse * Complete a one page multiple-choice test on pelvic organ prolapse
Detailed description
The secondary objective is to determine characteristics of patients whose knowledge levels are higher after reading educational material written below a sixth grade reading level compared to material written above a sixth grade reading level.
Interventions
OTHERHandout Written at Below a Sixth Grade Reading Level
Participants randomized to this experimental arm will read a simplified handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at below a sixth grade reading level.
OTHERHandout Written at Above a Sixth Grade Reading Level
Participants randomized to this control arm will read a standard handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at above a sixth grade reading level.
Sponsors
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Must be able to complete pen and paper questionnaire
Exclusion criteria
* Unable to understand or read English
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Assessment Score | Assessed during completion of a 5 minute survey after reading a one page informational handout for approximately 10 minutes | Mean number of correct answers from 0 to 12 on the validated Prolapse Knowledge Questionnaire where 0 indicates 0 correct answers (worst knowledge score) and 12 indicates all correct answers (best knowledge score). |
| Participant-reported Handout Utility | Assessed during completion of a 5 minute survey after reading a one page informational handout for approximately 10 minutes | Percentage of participants who respond Yes that reading the handout increased their understanding of pelvic organ prolapse on a Yes/No/Don't know scale. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed