Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35014960›Full record

ArticleJMIR diabetes2022

Internet-Based Patient Education Materials Regarding Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Readability and Quality Assessment.

David Michael Lee, Elysia Grose, Karen Cross

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR diabetes, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

3 authors.

David Michael LeeTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7284-3128
Elysia GroseFaculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3054-3474
Karen CrossTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7324-7635

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are a common complication of diabetes, little is known about the content and readability of online patient education materials (PEM) for DFU. The recommended reading grade level for these materials is grades 6-8.

objectiveThe aim of this paper was to evaluate the quality and readability of online PEM on DFU.

methodsA Google search was performed using 4 different search terms related to DFU. Two readability formulas were used to assess the readability of the included PEM. These included the Flesch-Kincaid grade level and the Flesch-Reading ease score. The DISCERN tool was used to determine quality and reliability.

resultsA total of 41 online PEM were included. The average Flesch-Reading ease score for all PEM was 63.43 (SD 14.21), indicating a standard difficulty level of reading. The average reading grade level was 7.85 (SD 2.38), which is higher than the recommended reading level for PEM. The mean DISCERN score was 45.66 (SD 3.34), and 27% (11/41) of the articles had DISCERN scores of less than 39, corresponding to poor or very poor quality.

conclusionsThe majority of online PEM on DFU are written above the recommended reading levels and have significant deficiencies in quality and reliability. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the shortcomings of these resources and consider the impact they may have on patients' self-management.

Indexed as

diabetesdiabetic footdiabetic foot ulceronline eductiononline resourcespatient educationpatient education materialsreadability

Identifiers

PMID35014960
PMCPMC8790680

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.