Charlotte Brooks

Literacy levels required to understand regularly accessed falls prevention websites aimed at the public

Given the extensive costs to individuals and society, the prevention of falls is a major public health policy concern. Older people are increasingly using the Internet to access health-related materials. However, this information needs to be accessible. One quality indicator of accessibility is readability. No other research has assessed the readability of falls prevention websites. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of frequently accessed English language falls prevention websites offering advice on falls risk and prevention aimed at the public. Websites were identified using a search strategy and included according to pre-specified criteria. Twenty-four websites were evaluated using two standardised readability indices: the Gunning FOG Index (FOG) and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). The mean FOG reading grade was 9.92 and the mean SMOG reading grade was 9.68. The most commonly accessed falls websites are not meeting recommended reading levels for consumer healthcare materials. The construction of falls prevention websites which are accessible to all individuals, including those with lower literacy levels, is essential to increase patient autonomy and prevent widening healthcare inequalities.

The importance of building trust and tailoring interactions when meeting older adults' health literacy needs.

Abstract Purpose: Health literacy is the ability to access, understand and use health information. This study qualitatively explored the views and experiences of older adults with varying health literacy levels who had attended a falls clinic on their overall experience of the falls clinic, access to the service and provider–patient interaction. Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine older adults using a falls clinic in England. Health literacy was assessed using the REALM and NVS-UK. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and interrogated using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Two superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: The importance of trust and relationship building to achieve effective communication with older adults; and the importance of tailoring education and healthcare to older adults’ individual health literacy needs and preferences. Conclusions: The findings corroborate previous research emphasising the importance of face-to-face communication in responding to older adults’ individual health literacy needs. Building trust in the relationship and tailoring communication to older adults’ individual attributes and preferred learning styles is essential. Healthcare practitioners and managers should consider how service organisation and communication methods can enhance positive and effective relationships with patients. Improved training could support healthcare providers in meeting patients’ personal communication needs. Implications for Rehabilitation Rehabilitation professionals should be aware of their patients’ individual health literacy needs and communication/learning preferences. It is important to build relationships and trust with older adults attending rehabilitation services. Further training for rehabilitation professionals could support them in meeting patients’ personal communication needs.

Accessibility of online self-management support websites for people with osteoarthritis: A text content analysis:

Objectives This study assessed accessibility of online self-management support webpages for people with osteoarthritis by considering readability of text and inclusion of images and videos. Methods Eight key search terms developed and agreed with patient and public involvement representatives were entered into the Google search engine. Webpages from the first page of Google search results were identified. Readability of webpage text was assessed using two standardised readability indexes, and the number of images and videos included on each webpage was recorded. Results Forty-nine webpages met the inclusion criteria and were assessed. Only five of the webpages met the recommended reading level for health education literature. Almost half (44.9%) of webpages did not include any informative images to support written information. A minority of the webpages (6.12%) included relevant videos. Discussion Information provided on health webpages aiming to support patients to self-manage osteoarthritis may not be read, understood or used effectively by many people accessing it. Recommendations include using accessible language in health information, supplementing written information with visual resources and reviewing content and readability in collaboration with patient and public involvement representatives.

Reading between the lines

HEALTH LITERACY is the ability to ‘gain access to, understand and use information’ for health (Nutbeam 2008). Developing sound health literacy skills can be complex and being health literate is not simply the ability to read and write; it requires many different skills, including navigation though healthcare systems, comprehension, listening and interacting, analytical and decision-making abilities.