Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34372717›Full record

ArticleOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery2022

Readability of the American, Canadian, and British Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Societies' Patient Materials.

Joo Hyun Kim, Elysia Grose, Justine Philteos, David Forner, Christopher W Noel, Vincent Wu, Antoine Eskander

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Large language models for tympanostomy patient education: readability and guideline adherence.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
  2. Readability, understandability, and quality of online education materials and large language models for retrograde cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  3. ChatGPT vs. web search for patient questions: what does ChatGPT do better?European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Joo Hyun KimFaculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Elysia GroseDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Justine PhilteosDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
David FornerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Christopher W NoelDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Vincent WuDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Antoine EskanderDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePatient education materials across 3 national English otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) societies: the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (CSOHNS), and Ear, Nose, and Throat United Kingdom (ENT UK) were examined to determine whether they are written at a level suitable for patient comprehension. STUDY

designCross-sectional study.

settingOnline patient materials presented through OHNS national societies.

methodsReadability was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease Score, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. All public patient education materials available through the CSOHNS, AAO-HNS, and ENT UK websites were assessed. Patient education materials were grouped into categories by subspecialty.

resultsIn total, 128 patient materials from the 3 societies were included in the study. All 3 societies required a minimum grade 9 reading comprehension level to understand their online materials. According to Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the CSOHNS required a significantly higher reading grade level to comprehend the materials presented when compared to AAO-HNS (11.3 vs 9.9; 95% CI, 0.5-2.4;

conclusionThis study suggests that the reading level of the current patient materials presented through 3 national OHNS societies are written at a level that exceeds current recommendations. Promisingly, it highlights an improvement for the readability of patient materials presented through the AAO-HNS.

Indexed as

Health LiteracyOtolaryngologyCanadaComprehensionCross-Sectional StudiesHumansInternetPharynxUnited Stateshealth literacyotolaryngologypatient educationreadability

Identifiers

PMID34372717
PMCPMC9066686

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.