Readability analysis of online resources related to lung cancer.

PubMed

Weiss, Kathleen D; Vargas, Christina R; Ho, Olivia A; Chuang, Danielle J; Weiss, Jonathan; Lee, Bernard T

2016-11-01

Patients seeking health information commonly use the Internet as the first source for material. Studies show that well-informed patients have increased involvement, satisfaction, and healthcare outcomes. As one-third of Americans have only basic or below basic health literacy, the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend patient-directed health resources be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the readability of commonly accessed online resources on lung cancer. A search for "lung cancer" was performed using Google and Bing, and the top 10 websites were identified. Location services were disabled, and sponsored sites were excluded. Relevant articles (n = 109) with patient-directed content available directly from the main sites were downloaded. Readability was assessed using 10 established methods and analyzed with articles grouped by parent website. The average reading grade level across all sites was 11.2, with a range from 8.8 (New Fog Count) to 12.2 (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook). The average Flesch Reading Ease score was 52, corresponding with fairly difficult to read text. The readability varied when compared by individual website, ranging in grade level from 9.2 to 15.2. Only 10 articles (9%) were written below a sixth-grade level and these tended to discuss simpler topics. Patient-directed online information about lung cancer exceeds the recommended sixth-grade reading level. Readability varies between individual websites, allowing physicians to direct patients according to level of health literacy. Modifications to existing materials can significantly improve readability while maintaining content for patients with low health literacy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to "labour analgesia".

PubMed

Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

2017-11-01

We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to "labour analgesia." In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites.We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words "labour analgesia" were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded.The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined.Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37.In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to "labour analgesia" was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability.

Online Health Information Regarding Male Infertility: An Evaluation of Readability, Suitability, and Quality.

PubMed

Robins, Stephanie; Barr, Helena J; Idelson, Rachel; Lambert, Sylvie; Zelkowitz, Phyllis

2016-10-21

Many men lack knowledge about male infertility, and this may have consequences for their reproductive and general health. Men may prefer to seek health information online, but these sources of information vary in quality. The objective of this study is to determine if online sources of information regarding male infertility are readable, suitable, and of appropriate quality for Internet users in the general population. This study used a cross-sectional design to evaluate online sources resulting from search engine queries. The following categories of websites were considered: (1) Canadian fertility clinics, (2) North American organizations related to fertility, and (3) the first 20 results of Google searches using the terms "male infertility" and "male fertility preservation" set to the search locations worldwide, English Canada, and French Canada. Websites that met inclusion criteria (N=85) were assessed using readability indices, the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), and the DISCERN tool. The associations between website affiliation (government, university/medical, non-profit organization, commercial/corporate, private practice) and Google placement to readability, suitability, and quality were also examined. None of the sampled websites met recommended levels of readability. Across all websites, the mean SAM score for suitability was 45.37% (SD 11.21), or "adequate", while the DISCERN mean score for quality was 43.19 (SD 10.46) or "fair". Websites that placed higher in Google obtained a higher overall score for quality with an r (58) value of -.328 and a P value of .012, but this position was not related to readability or suitability. In addition, 20% of fertility clinic websites did not include fertility information for men. There is a lack of high quality online sources of information on male fertility. Many websites target their information to women, or fail to meet established readability criteria for the general population. Since men may prefer to seek health information online, it is important that health care professionals develop high quality sources of information on male fertility for the general population.

Immersive Input Display Device (I2D2) for tactical information viewing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremper, David E.; Burnett, Kevin P.; Malloy, Andrew R.; Wert, Robert

2006-05-01

Daylight readability of hand-held displays has been an ongoing issue for both commercial and military applications. In an effort to reduce the effects of ambient light on the readability of military displays, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) began investigating and developing advanced hand-held displays. Analysis and research of display technologies with consideration for vulnerability to environmental conditions resulted in the complete design and fabrication of the hand-held Immersive Input Display Device (I2D2) monocular. The I2D2 combines an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) SVGA+ micro-display developed by eMagin Corporation with an optics configuration inside a cylindrical housing. A rubber pressure-eyecup allows view ability only when the eyecup is depressed, eliminating light from both entering and leaving the device. This feature allows the I2D2 to be used during the day, while not allowing ambient light to affect the readability. It simultaneously controls light leakage, effectively eliminating the illumination, and thus preserving the tactical position, of the user in the dark. This paper will examine the characteristics and introduce the design of the I2D2.

Augmented reality with image registration, vision correction and sunlight readability via liquid crystal devices.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Jen; Chen, Po-Ju; Liang, Xiao; Lin, Yi-Hsin

2017-03-27

Augmented reality (AR), which use computer-aided projected information to augment our sense, has important impact on human life, especially for the elder people. However, there are three major challenges regarding the optical system in the AR system, which are registration, vision correction, and readability under strong ambient light. Here, we solve three challenges simultaneously for the first time using two liquid crystal (LC) lenses and polarizer-free attenuator integrated in optical-see-through AR system. One of the LC lens is used to electrically adjust the position of the projected virtual image which is so-called registration. The other LC lens with larger aperture and polarization independent characteristic is in charge of vision correction, such as myopia and presbyopia. The linearity of lens powers of two LC lenses is also discussed. The readability of virtual images under strong ambient light is solved by electrically switchable transmittance of the LC attenuator originating from light scattering and light absorption. The concept demonstrated in this paper could be further extended to other electro-optical devices as long as the devices exhibit the capability of phase modulations and amplitude modulations.

Readability of internet-sourced patient education material related to “labour analgesia”

PubMed Central

Boztas, Nilay; Omur, Dilek; Ozbılgın, Sule; Altuntas, Gözde; Piskin, Ersan; Ozkardesler, Sevda; Hanci, Volkan

2017-01-01

Abstract We evaluated the readability of Internet-sourced patient education materials (PEMs) related to “labour analgesia.” In addition to assessing the readability of websites, we aimed to compare commercial, personal, and academic websites. We used the most popular search engine (http://www.google.com) in our study. The first 100 websites in English that resulted from a search for the key words “labour analgesia” were scanned. Websites that were not in English, graphs, pictures, videos, tables, figures and list formats in the text, all punctuation, the number of words in the text is less than 100 words, feedback forms not related to education, (Uniform Resource Locator) URL websites, author information, references, legal disclaimers, and addresses and telephone numbers were excluded. The texts included in the study were assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (FOG) readability formulae. The number of Latin words within the text was determined. Analysis of 300-word sections of the texts revealed that the mean FRES was 47.54 ± 12.54 (quite difficult), mean FKGL and SMOG were 11.92 ± 2.59 and 10.57 ± 1.88 years of education, respectively, and mean Gunning FOG was 14.71 ± 2.76 (very difficult). Within 300-word sections, the mean number of Latin words was identified as 16.56 ± 6.37. In our study, the readability level of Internet-sourced PEM related to “labour analgesia” was identified to be quite high indicating poor readability. PMID:29137057

Forensic scientists' conclusions: how readable are they for non-scientist report-users?

PubMed

Howes, Loene M; Kirkbride, K Paul; Kelty, Sally F; Julian, Roberta; Kemp, Nenagh

2013-09-10

Scientists have an ethical responsibility to assist non-scientists to understand their findings and expert opinions before they are used as decision-aids within the criminal justice system. The communication of scientific expert opinion to non-scientist audiences (e.g., police, lawyers, and judges) through expert reports is an important but under-researched issue. Readability statistics were used to assess 111 conclusions from a proficiency test in forensic glass analysis. The conclusions were written using an average of 23 words per sentence, and approximately half of the conclusions were expressed using the active voice. At an average Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of university undergraduate (Grade 13), and Flesch Reading Ease score of difficult (42), the conclusions were written at a level suitable for people with some tertiary education in science, suggesting that the intended non-scientist readers would find them difficult to read. To further analyse the readability of conclusions, descriptive features of text were used: text structure; sentence structure; vocabulary; elaboration; and coherence and unity. Descriptive analysis supported the finding that texts were written at a level difficult for non-scientists to read. Specific aspects of conclusions that may pose difficulties for non-scientists were located. Suggestions are included to assist scientists to write conclusions with increased readability for non-scientist readers, while retaining scientific integrity. In the next stage of research, the readability of expert reports in their entirety is to be explored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of co-administration of death camas (Zigadenus spp.) and low larkspur (Delphinium spp.) in cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In many rangeland settings, there is more than one potential poisonous plant. Two poisonous plants that are often found growing simultaneously in the same location are death camas (Zigadenus spp.) and low larkspur (Delphinium spp.). The objective of this study was to determine if co-administration...

How Readable are Spanish-Language Medicaid Applications?

PubMed Central

Hansen, Julie S.; DeVoe, Jennifer E.

2015-01-01

Nationally, Hispanics comprise nearly one-quarter of all non-elderly Medicaid recipients. We evaluated readability, layout characteristics, and document complexity of state-issued Spanish-language Medicaid enrollment applications. We located and analyzed Internet-based Spanish enrollment applications from 37 states and the District of Columbia. We calculated the readability of each Medicaid enrollment application “Signature” page using the Spanish Lexile Analyzer. We assessed application layout characteristics utilizing the User-Friendliness Tool, and we evaluated document complexity using the PMOSE/IKIRSCH scale. The average Lexile score estimated an 11th–12th grade reading level (M = 1184, SD = 192) for “Signature” pages of enrollment applications. Most applications used small font size and lacked adequate white space. Document complexity ranged from level 3 (moderate) to level 5 (very high); the majority of applications ranked at level 4 (high). Spanish-language Medicaid enrollment applications should be revised to adhere to low-literacy guidelines, which may improve the accessibility of Medicaid coverage for eligible Spanish-speaking families. PMID:21213122

0.5-45GHz Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) Antenna System for Electronic Attack

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-17

0.5-45GHz Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) Antenna System for Electronic Attack Mohamed Elmansouri, Prathap Valaleprasannakumar, Elie...Colorado, US, 80309 Abstract: A shared antenna aperture for simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) operating from 0.5 to 45GHz with isolation...50dB over the entire band is discussed. The co-located antenna aperture system is designed across 4 overlapping bands: 0.5-2.5GHz, 2-7GHz, 6-19GHz

Online Health Information Regarding Male Infertility: An Evaluation of Readability, Suitability, and Quality

PubMed Central

Robins, Stephanie; Barr, Helena J; Idelson, Rachel; Lambert, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Background Many men lack knowledge about male infertility, and this may have consequences for their reproductive and general health. Men may prefer to seek health information online, but these sources of information vary in quality. Objective The objective of this study is to determine if online sources of information regarding male infertility are readable, suitable, and of appropriate quality for Internet users in the general population. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design to evaluate online sources resulting from search engine queries. The following categories of websites were considered: (1) Canadian fertility clinics, (2) North American organizations related to fertility, and (3) the first 20 results of Google searches using the terms “male infertility” and “male fertility preservation” set to the search locations worldwide, English Canada, and French Canada. Websites that met inclusion criteria (N=85) were assessed using readability indices, the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), and the DISCERN tool. The associations between website affiliation (government, university/medical, non-profit organization, commercial/corporate, private practice) and Google placement to readability, suitability, and quality were also examined. Results None of the sampled websites met recommended levels of readability. Across all websites, the mean SAM score for suitability was 45.37% (SD 11.21), or “adequate”, while the DISCERN mean score for quality was 43.19 (SD 10.46) or “fair”. Websites that placed higher in Google obtained a higher overall score for quality with an r (58) value of -.328 and a P value of .012, but this position was not related to readability or suitability. In addition, 20% of fertility clinic websites did not include fertility information for men. Conclusions There is a lack of high quality online sources of information on male fertility. Many websites target their information to women, or fail to meet established readability criteria for the general population. Since men may prefer to seek health information online, it is important that health care professionals develop high quality sources of information on male fertility for the general population. PMID:27769954

Self-Organizing OFDMA System for Broadband Communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, Aloke (Inventor); Anandappan, Thanga (Inventor); Malve, Sharath Babu (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Systems and methods for a self-organizing OFDMA system for broadband communication are provided. In certain embodiments a communication node for a self organizing network comprises a communication interface configured to transmit data to and receive data from a plurality of nodes; and a processing unit configured to execute computer readable instructions. Further, computer readable instructions direct the processing unit to identify a sub-region within a cell, wherein the communication node is located in the sub-region; and transmit at least one data frame, wherein the data from the communication node is transmitted at a particular time and frequency as defined within the at least one data frame, where the time and frequency are associated with the sub-region.

Readability versus Leveling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Edward

2002-01-01

Shows some similarities and differences between readability formulas and leveling procedures and reports some current large-scale uses of readability formulas. Presents a dictionary definition of readability and leveling, and a history and background of readability and leveling. Discusses what goes into determining readability and leveling scores.…

Novel approach for simultaneous wireless transmission and evaluation of optical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Niels; Schuster, Tobias; Plettemeier, Dirk

2014-11-01

Optical sensors can be used to measure various quantities such as pressure, strain, temperature, refractive index, pH value and biochemical reactions. The interrogation of the sensor can be performed spectrally or using a simple power measurement. However, the evaluation of the sensor signal and the subsequent radio transmission of the results is complicated and costly. A sophisticated system setup comprising a huge number of electrooptical components as well as a complete radio module is required. This is not only expensive and unreliable but also impractical within harsh environment, in limited space and in inaccessible areas. Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) technology implies signals modulated on an electrical carrier being transmitted over fiber by using optical carriers. Combining RoF techniques and optical sensors, a new class of measurement devices readable by a radio interfaces is introduced in this paper. These sensors use a modulated input signal generated by a RoF transmitter that { after being influenced by the optical sensor-is directly converted into a radio signal and transmitted. This approach enables remote read-outs of the sensor by means of wireless evaluation. Thus, costly, voluminous, power hungry and sensitive equipment in the vicinity of the measurement location is avoided. The equipment can be concentrated in a central location supporting existing radio transmission schemes (e.g. WiFi).

Online Patient Resources for Liposuction: A Comparative Analysis of Readability.

PubMed

Vargas, Christina R; Ricci, Joseph A; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

2016-03-01

As patients strive to become informed about health care, inadequate functional health literacy is a significant barrier. Nearly half of American adults have poor or marginal health literacy skills and the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association have recommended that patient information should be written at a sixth grade level. The aim of this study is to identify the most commonly used online patient information about liposuction and to evaluate its readability relative to average American literacy. An internet search of "liposuction" was performed and the 10 most popular websites identified. User and location data were disabled and sponsored results excluded. All relevant, patient-directed articles were downloaded and formatted into plain text. Articles were then analyzed using 10 established readability tests. A comparison group was constructed to identify the most popular online consumer information about tattooing. Mean readability scores and specific article characteristics were compared. A total of 80 articles were collected from websites about liposuction. Readability analysis revealed an overall 13.6 grade reading level (range, 10-16 grade); all articles exceeded the target sixth grade level. Consumer websites about tattooing were significantly easier to read, with a mean 7.8 grade level. These sites contained significantly fewer characters per word and words per sentence, as well as a smaller proportion of complex, long, and unfamiliar words. Online patient resources about liposuction are potentially too difficult for a large number of Americans to understand. Liposuction websites are significantly harder to read than consumer websites about tattooing. Aesthetic surgeons are advised to discuss with patients resources they use and guide patients to appropriate information for their skill level.

The Gobbledygook in Online Parent-Focused Information about Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

PubMed

Wozney, Lori; Radomski, Ashley D; Newton, Amanda S

2018-06-01

Online parent-focused informational resources play a vital step in parent decision-making about initiating child and adolescent mental health care, but their usefulness may depend on how easily the resource content can be understood. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the readability and reliability of parent-focused mental health resources provided on Canadian websites. After meeting inclusion criteria, 50 documents retrieved during the search in September 2016 from websites using online health information searching strategies that would be typically employed by parents underwent analysis. Document readability was assessed using Health Canada recommended instruments: Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the Flesch Reading-Ease scale. Reliability was assessed using Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode). Our analysis revealed that all included documents exceeded the 8th grade reading level. The mean ± SD readability scores were SMOG 11.65 ± 1.10 and FKGL 10.03 ± 1.49. Reading-ease scores showed that 42% (n = 21) of the documents were "Difficult" to read. Factorial ANOVA revealed no significant difference in readability across mental health topic areas or organizational sectors (p = > 0.05). Twenty-four percent of documents came from sites with HONcode certification. Findings suggest that almost all child and adolescent mental health information that would typically be found online by parents in Canada had readability scores that were too high for average parents to read and exceeded Health Canada recommended reading levels. Being able to locate resources online can be significantly precluded if a parent cannot understand and use information to mobilize them to accessing mental health care for their families.

40 CFR 63.1416 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Recordkeeping requirements. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this subpart, each owner or... shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access within 2... may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to, on paper...

40 CFR 63.1416 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... § 63.1416 Recordkeeping requirements. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this subpart... site or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access.... Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to, on paper...

40 CFR 63.1416 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... § 63.1416 Recordkeeping requirements. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this subpart... site or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access.... Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to, on paper...

40 CFR 63.1416 - Recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Recordkeeping requirements. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this subpart, each owner or... shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provides access within 2... may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to, on paper...

Towards dualband megapixel QWIP focal plane arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunapala, S. D.; Bandara, S. V.; Liu, J. K.; Mumolo, J. M.; Hill, C. J.; Rafol, S. B.; Salazar, D.; Woolaway, J.; LeVan, P. D.; Tidrow, M. Z.

2007-04-01

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024 × 1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 17 mK at a 95 K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300 K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NEΔT of 13 mK at a 70 K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90 K and 70 K operating temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we have demonstrated MWIR and LWIR pixel co-registered simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays. In this paper, we will discuss the performance in terms of quantum efficiency, NEΔT, uniformity, operability, and modulation transfer functions of the 1024 × 1024 pixel arrays and the progress of dualband QWIP focal plane array development work.

Multicolor megapixel QWIP focal plane arrays for remote sensing instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunapala, S. D.; Bandara, S. V.; Liu, J. K.; Hill, C. J.; Rafol, S. B.; Mumolo, J. M.; Trinh, J. T.; Tidrow, M. Z.; LeVan, P. D.

2006-08-01

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024x1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 17 mK at a 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NEΔT of 13 mK at a 70K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K and 70K operating temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we have demonstrated MWIR and LWIR pixel co-registered simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays. In this paper, we will discuss the performance in terms of quantum efficiency, NEΔT, uniformity, operability, and modulation transfer functions of the 1024x1024 pixel arrays and the progress of dualband QWIP focal plane array development work.

Analyzing readability of medicines information material in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Kasesnik, Karin; Kline, Mihael

2011-01-01

Objective: Readability has been claimed to be an important factor for understanding texts describing health symptoms and medications. Such texts may be a factor which indirectly affects the health of the population. Despite the expertise of physicians, the readability of information sources may be important for acquiring essential treatment information. The aim of this study was to measure the readability level of medicines promotion material in Slovenia. Methods: The Flesch readability formula was modified to comply with Slovene texts. On the basis of determining the Slovene readability algorithm, the readability ease related to the readability grade level of different Slovene texts was established. In order to estimate an adjustment of the texts to the recommended readability grade level of the targeted population, readability values of English texts were set. One sample t-test and standard deviations from the arithmetic mean values were used as statistical tests. Results: The results of the research showed low readability scores of the Slovene texts. Difficult readability values were seen in different types of examined texts: in patient information leaflets, in the summaries of product characteristics, in promotional materials, while describing over-the-counter medications and in the materials for creating disease awareness. Especially low readability values were found within the texts belonging to promotional materials intended for the physicians. None of researched items, not even for the general public, were close to primary school grade readability levels and therefore could not be described as easily readable. Conclusion: This study provides an understanding of the level of readability of selected Slovene medicines information material. It was concluded that health-related texts were not compliant with general public or with healthcare professional needs. PMID:23093886

The readability of American Academy of Pediatrics patient education brochures.

PubMed

Freda, Margaret Comerford

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) patient education brochures. Seventy-four brochures were analyzed using two readability formulas. Mean readability for all 74 brochures was grade 7.94 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and grade 10.1 with SMOG formula (P = .001). Using the SMOG formula, no brochures were of acceptably low (< or =8th grade) readability levels (range 8.3 to 12.7). Using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, 41 of the 74 had acceptable readability levels (< or =8th grade). The SMOG formula routinely assessed brochures 2 to 3 grade levels higher than did the Flesch-Kincaid formula. Some AAP patient education brochures have acceptably low levels of readability, but at least half are written at higher than acceptable readability levels for the general public. This study also demonstrated statistically significant variability between the two different readability formulas; had only the SMOG formula been used, all of the brochures would have had unacceptably high readability levels. Readability is an essential concept for patient education materials. Professional associations that develop and market patient education materials should test for readability and publish those readability levels on each piece of patient education so health care providers will know if the materials are appropriate for their patients.

Evaluation of the readability of ACOG patient education pamphlets. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

PubMed

Freda, M C; Damus, K; Merkatz, I R

1999-05-01

To evaluate whether ACOG's patient education pamphlets comply with the recommended readability level for health education materials intended for the general public. All 100 English-language pamphlets available during 1997 (created or revised between 1988 and 1997) were evaluated using four standard readability formulas. Mean readability levels of ACOG's pamphlets were between grade 7.0 to grade 9.3, depending on the formula used. Analysis of readability over the 10 years showed a trend toward lower readability levels. Analysis by category of pamphlet found that the lowest readability levels were in "Especially for teens" pamphlets. Our data suggested that most of ACOG's patient education pamphlets currently available are written at a higher readability level than recommended for the general public. The readability of those pamphlets improved in the 10 years since the organization published its first pamphlet, but the goal of sixth-grade readability level has not been reached.

40 CFR 63.506 - General recordkeeping and reporting provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... General recordkeeping and reporting provisions. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this... retained on site or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provide... offsite. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to...

40 CFR 63.506 - General recordkeeping and reporting provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... General recordkeeping and reporting provisions. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this... retained on site or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provide... offsite. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to...

40 CFR 63.506 - General recordkeeping and reporting provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... General recordkeeping and reporting provisions. (a) Data retention. Unless otherwise specified in this... retained on site or shall be accessible from a central location by computer or other means that provide... offsite. Records may be maintained in hard copy or computer-readable form including, but not limited to...

A Feasibility Study on Data Distribution on Optical Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell (Bonnie) & Associates, Toronto (Ontario).

This feasibility study assesses the potential of optical technology in the development of accessible bibliographic and location data networks both in Canada and within the international MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) network. The study is divided into four parts: (1) a market survey of cataloging and interlibrary loan librarians to determine…

NASA STI Program Coordinating Council Twelfth Meeting: Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The theme of this NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Coordinating Council Meeting was standards and their formation and application. Topics covered included scientific and technical information architecture, the Open Systems Interconnection Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) open system environment procurement, and the Government Information Locator Service.

pH-controlled gas-generating mineralized nanoparticles: a theranostic agent for ultrasound imaging and therapy of cancers.

PubMed

Min, Kyung Hyun; Min, Hyun Su; Lee, Hong Jae; Park, Dong Jin; Yhee, Ji Young; Kim, Kwangmeyung; Kwon, Ick Chan; Jeong, Seo Young; Silvestre, Oscar F; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Hwang, Yu-Shik; Kim, Eun-Cheol; Lee, Sang Cheon

2015-01-27

We report a theranostic nanoparticle that can express ultrasound (US) imaging and simultaneous therapeutic functions for cancer treatment. We developed doxorubicin-loaded calcium carbonate (CaCO3) hybrid nanoparticles (DOX-CaCO3-MNPs) through a block copolymer templated in situ mineralization approach. The nanoparticles exhibited strong echogenic signals at tumoral acid pH by producing carbon dioxide (CO2) bubbles and showed excellent echo persistence. In vivo results demonstrated that the DOX-CaCO3-MNPs generated CO2 bubbles at tumor tissues sufficient for echogenic reflectivity under a US field. In contrast, the DOX-CaCO3-MNPs located in the liver or tumor-free subcutaneous area did not generate the CO2 bubbles necessary for US contrast. The DOX-CaCO3-MNPs could also trigger the DOX release simultaneously with CO2 bubble generation at the acidic tumoral environment. The DOX-CaCO3-MNPs displayed effective antitumor therapeutic activity in tumor-bearing mice. The concept described in this work may serve as a useful guide for development of various theranostic nanoparticles for US imaging and therapy of various cancers.

Quality of online information on breast cancer treatment options.

PubMed

Arif, Nadia; Ghezzi, Pietro

2018-02-01

Offering breast cancer patients treatment choice has become a priority as the involvement of patients in the decision-making process is associated with improved physical and psychological outcomes. As the Internet is increasingly being used by patients as a source of medical information, it is important to evaluate the quality of information relating to breast cancer on the Internet. We analysed 200 websites returned by google.co.uk searching "breast cancer treatment options" in terms of their typology and treatment options described. These were related to standard measures of health information quality such as the JAMA score and the presence of quality certifications, as well as readability. We found that health portals were of higher quality whilst commercial and professional websites were of poorer quality in terms of JAMA criteria. Overall, readability was higher than previously reported for other conditions, and Google ranked websites with better readability higher. Most websites discussed surgical and medical treatments. Few websites, with a large proportion being of commercial typology, discussed complementary and alternative medicine. Google ranked professional websites low whilst websites from non-profit organizations were promoted in the ranking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Readability of an Unreadable Text.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Robert M.

1980-01-01

The Dale-Chall Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Graph were used to analyze passages of Plato's "Parmenides," a notoriously difficult literary piece. The readability levels of the text ranged from fourth to eighth grade (Dale-Chall) and from sixth to tenth grade (Fry), indicating the limitations of the readability tests. (DF)

A Manual for Readable Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klare, George R.

One of the ways to handle the increasing demands on readers' skills is to make writing more readable. The problem has two different aspects: predicting how readable writing will be to a reader, and producing writing that is readable to that reader. Prediction is relatively simple, and can be done statistically with readability formulas. Production…

Facilitating knowledge discovery and visualization through mining contextual data from published studies: lessons from JournalMap

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Valuable information on the location and context of ecological studies are locked up in publications in myriad formats that are not easily machine readable. This presents significant challenges to building geographic-based tools to search for and visualize sources of ecological knowledge. JournalMap...

Design of Formats and Packs of Catalog Cards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., Dublin, OH.

The three major functions of the Ohio College Library Center's Shared Cataloging System are: 1) provision of union catalog location listing; 2) making available cataloging done by one library to all other users of the system; and 3) production of catalog cards. The system, based on a central machine readable data base, speeds cataloging and…

A Meta-Analysis of Referential Communication Studies: A Computer Readable Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, W. Patrick; Moskoff, Mary

A computer-assisted analysis of studies on referential communication (giving directions/explanations) located 66 reports involving 80 experiments, 114 referential tasks, and over 6,200 individuals. The studies were entered into a statistical software package system (SPSS) and analyzed for characteristics of the subjects and experimental designs,…

78 FR 28111 - Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... warning systems, location-based applications, precision farming tools, and much more, improving Americans... repository of tools and best practices to assist agencies in integrating the Open Data Policy into their... needed to ensure it remains a resource to facilitate the adoption of open data practices. (b) Within 90...

Readability, content, and quality of online patient education materials on preeclampsia.

PubMed

Lange, Elizabeth M S; Shah, Anuj M; Braithwaite, Brian A; You, Whitney B; Wong, Cynthia A; Grobman, William A; Toledo, Paloma

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the readability, content, and quality of patient education materials addressing preeclampsia. Websites of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residency programs were searched for patient education materials. Readability, content, and quality were assessed. A one-sample t-test was used to evaluate mean readability level compared with the recommended 6th grade reading level. Mean readability levels were higher using all indices (p < 0.001). Content was variable with good website understandability, but poor actionability. The mean readability was above the recommended 6th grade reading level. The content, readability, and actionability of preeclampsia patient education materials should be improved.

Evaluation of easy-to-read information material on healthy life-styles written with the help of citizens' collaboration through networking.

PubMed

Daghio, M Monica; Fattori, Giuseppe; Ciardullo, Anna V

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate if easy-to-read information material on the prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases through healthy lifestyle co-written by communicators, educators, physicians and citizens -using a networking strategy- could be judged comprehensible. Readability scores were computed. The survey involved 100 individuals attending our centralized booking centre for medical appointments during an "index week". They filled out an anonymous questionnaire, just before and after they had read the material. Readability and comprehensibility frequencies were calculated. The participants had a mean age of 59.1+/-15.1 (SD) years (range 19-81yrs), 62% were females. Twenty-six percent of them had received no education, 30% "primary", 28% "secondary", and 14% had a "degree". According to readability scores, the booklet was "readable" by all persons who had finished primary school. Of the 100 participants, 40 percent found the booklet's language to be "easy" or "very easy", 46% "sufficiently easy", and 14% "difficult" for laypersons to understand. Ninety-four percent of them found no unintelligible words in the text. Education levels showed no differences. Readers' answers were more correct after they had read the booklet. The pre-test showed that 61+/-26% of the readers answered the comprehensibility items correctly. After reading the booklet, 81+/-17% of them gave correct answers. The after-minus-before net increase in knowledge was +20% (95% CIs +8 to +32%). The booklet was designed and written using a networking strategy with the help of the local population. It was found to be easy to read and quite clear.

A Machine Learning Approach to Measurement of Text Readability for EFL Learners Using Various Linguistic Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotani, Katsunori; Yoshimi, Takehiko; Isahara, Hitoshi

2011-01-01

The present paper introduces and evaluates a readability measurement method designed for learners of EFL (English as a foreign language). The proposed readability measurement method (a regression model) estimates the text readability based on linguistic features, such as lexical, syntactic and discourse features. Text readability refers to the…

Can ASCII data files be standardized for Earth Science?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, K. D.; Chen, G.; Wilson, A.; Law, E.; Olding, S. W.; Krotkov, N. A.; Conover, H.

2015-12-01

NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups (ESDSWG) was created over 10 years ago. The role of the ESDSWG is to make recommendations relevant to NASA's Earth science data systems from user experiences. Each group works independently focusing on a unique topic. Participation in ESDSWG groups comes from a variety of NASA-funded science and technology projects, such as MEaSUREs, NASA information technology experts, affiliated contractor, staff and other interested community members from academia and industry. Recommendations from the ESDSWG groups will enhance NASA's efforts to develop long term data products. Each year, the ESDSWG has a face-to-face meeting to discuss recommendations and future efforts. Last year's (2014) ASCII for Science Data Working Group (ASCII WG) completed its goals and made recommendations on a minimum set of information that is needed to make ASCII files at least human readable and usable for the foreseeable future. The 2014 ASCII WG created a table of ASCII files and their components as a means for understanding what kind of ASCII formats exist and what components they have in common. Using this table and adding information from other ASCII file formats, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a standardized format. For instance, Space Geodesy scientists have been using the same RINEX/SINEX ASCII format for decades. Astronomers mostly archive their data in the FITS format. Yet Earth scientists seem to have a slew of ASCII formats, such as ICARTT, netCDF (an ASCII dump) and the IceBridge ASCII format. The 2015 Working Group is focusing on promoting extendibility and machine readability of ASCII data. Questions have been posed, including, Can we have a standardized ASCII file format? Can it be machine-readable and simultaneously human-readable? We will present a summary of the current used ASCII formats in terms of advantages and shortcomings, as well as potential improvements.

Improving readability of informed consents for research at an academic medical institution.

PubMed

Hadden, Kristie B; Prince, Latrina Y; Moore, Tina D; James, Laura P; Holland, Jennifer R; Trudeau, Christopher R

2017-12-01

The final rule for the protection of human subjects requires that informed consent be "in language understandable to the subject" and mandates that "the informed consent must be organized in such a way that facilitates comprehension." This study assessed the readability of Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent forms at our institution, implemented an intervention to improve the readability of consent forms, and measured the first year impact of the intervention. Readability assessment was conducted on a sample of 217 Institutional Review Board-approved informed consents from 2013 to 2015. A plain language informed consent template was developed and implemented and readability was assessed again after 1 year. The mean readability of the baseline sample was 10th grade. The mean readability of the post-intervention sample (n=82) was seventh grade. Providing investigators with a plain language informed consent template and training can promote improved readability of informed consents for research.

Readability of Online Health Information: A Meta-Narrative Systematic Review.

PubMed

Daraz, Lubna; Morrow, Allison S; Ponce, Oscar J; Farah, Wigdan; Katabi, Abdulrahman; Majzoub, Abdul; Seisa, Mohamed O; Benkhadra, Raed; Alsawas, Mouaz; Larry, Prokop; Murad, M Hassan

2018-01-01

Online health information should meet the reading level for the general public (set at sixth-grade level). Readability is a key requirement for information to be helpful and improve quality of care. The authors conducted a systematic review to evaluate the readability of online health information in the United States and Canada. Out of 3743 references, the authors included 157 cross-sectional studies evaluating 7891 websites using 13 readability scales. The mean readability grade level across websites ranged from grade 10 to 15 based on the different scales. Stratification by specialty, health condition, and type of organization producing information revealed the same findings. In conclusion, online health information in the United States and Canada has a readability level that is inappropriate for general public use. Poor readability can lead to misinformation and may have a detrimental effect on health. Efforts are needed to improve readability and the content of online health information.

Determining Readability: How to Select and Apply Easy-to-Use Readability Formulas to Assess the Difficulty of Adult Literacy Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Victoria; Greenberg, Daphne

2010-01-01

There are many readability tools that instructors can use to help adult learners select reading materials. We describe and compare different types of readability tools: formulas calculated by hand, tools found on the Web, tools embedded in a word processing program, and readability tools found in a commercial software program. Practitioners do not…

Readability of the Written Study Information in Pediatric Research in France

PubMed Central

Ménoni, Véronique; Lucas, Noël; Leforestier, Jean-François; Doz, François; Chatellier, Gilles; Jacqz-Aigain, Evelyne; Giraud, Carole; Tréluyer, Jean-Marc; Chappuy, Hélène

2011-01-01

Background The aim was to evaluate the readability of research information leaflets (RIL) for minors asked to participate in biomedical research studies and to assess the factors influencing this readability. Methods and Findings All the pediatric protocols from three French pediatric clinical research units were included (N = 104). Three criteria were used to evaluate readability: length of the text, Flesch's readability score and presence of illustrations. We compared the readability of RIL to texts specifically written for children (school textbooks, school exams or extracts from literary works). We assessed the effect of protocol characteristics on readability. The RIL had a median length of 608 words [350 words, 25th percentile; 1005 words, 75th percentile], corresponding to two pages. The readability of the RIL, with a median Flesch score of 40 [30; 47], was much poorer than that of pediatric reference texts, with a Flesch score of 67 [60; 73]. A small proportion of RIL (13/91; 14%) were illustrated. The RIL were longer (p<0.001), more readable (p<0.001) and more likely to be illustrated (p<0.009) for industrial than for institutional sponsors. Conclusion Researchers should routinely compute the reading ease of study information sheets and make greater efforts to improve the readability of written documents for potential participants. PMID:21494689

Readability of "Dear Patient" device advisory notification letters created by a device manufacturer.

PubMed

Mueller, Luke A; Sharma, Arjun; Ottenberg, Abigale L; Mueller, Paul S

2013-04-01

In 2006, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) recommended that cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) manufacturers use advisory notification letters to communicate with affected patients. To evaluate the readability of the HRS sample "patient device advisory notification" letter and those created by 1 CIED manufacturer. The HRS sample letter and 25 Boston Scientific Corporation letters dated from 2005 through 2011 were evaluated by using 6 readability tests. Readability (Flesch-Kincaid score) of the HRS sample letter was grade level 12.5, and median readability of the device manufacturer letters was grade level 12.8 (range 10.8-18.9). Similar results were obtained by using other readability scales. No letters had readability scores at the National Work Group on Literacy and Health's recommended reading level-fifth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this recommended level by an average of 7.7 grades (95% confidence interval 6.9-8.5; P<.001). Likewise, no letters had readability scores at the average reading level of US adults-eighth grade; the letters' readability exceeded this level by an average of 4.7 grades (95% confidence interval 3.9-5.5; P< .001). The readability of the HRS sample letter and those created by a CIED manufacturer significantly exceeded the recommended and average US adults' reading skill levels. Such letters are unlikely to be informative to many patients. CIED manufacturers should ensure that advisory letters are comprehensible to most affected patients. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability of patient education materials on the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine website.

PubMed

Eltorai, Adam E M; Han, Alex; Truntzer, Jeremy; Daniels, Alan H

2014-11-01

The recommended readability of patient education materials by the American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level. However, online resources may be too complex for some patients to understand, and poor health literacy predicts inferior health-related quality of life outcomes. This study evaluated whether the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) website's patient education materials meet recommended readability guidelines for medical information. We hypothesized that the readability of these online materials would have a Flesch-Kincaid formula grade above the sixth grade. All 65 patient education entries of the AOSSM website were analyzed for grade level readability using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, a widely used and validated tool to evaluate the text reading level. The average (standard deviation) readability of all 65 articles was grade level 10.03 (1.44); 64 articles had a readability score above the sixth-grade level, which is the maximum level recommended by the AMA and NIH. Mean readability of the articles exceeded this level by 4.03 grade levels (95% CI, 3.7-4.4; P < 0.0001). We found post-hoc that only 7 articles had a readability score ≤ an eighth-grade level, the average reading level of US adults. Mean readability of the articles exceeded this level by 2.03 grade levels (95% CI, 1.7-2.4; P < 0.0001). The readability of online AOSSM patient education materials exceeds the readability level recommended by the AMA and NIH, and is above the average reading level of the majority of US adults. This online information may be of limited utility to most patients due to a lack of comprehension. Our study provides a clear example of the need to improve the readability of specific education material in order to maximize the efficacy of multimedia sources.

Is the Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Material Improving?: An Assessment of Subspecialty Websites.

PubMed

Eltorai, Adam E M; Cheatham, Morgan; Naqvi, Syed S; Marthi, Siddharth; Dang, Victor; Palumbo, Mark A; Daniels, Alan H

2016-06-01

Analysis of spine-related patient education materials (PEMs) from subspecialty websites. The aim of this study was to assess the readability of spine-related PEMs and compare to readability data from 2008. Many spine patients use the Internet for health information. Several agencies recommend that the readability of online PEMs should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level, as health literacy predicts health-related quality of life outcomes. This study evaluated whether the North American Spine Society (NASS), American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) online PEMs meet recommended readability guidelines for medical information. All publicly accessible spine-related entries within the patient education section of the NASS, AANS, and AAOS websites were analyzed for grade level readability using the Flesch-Kincaid formula. Readability scores were also compared with a similar 2008 analysis. Comparative statistics were performed. A total of 125 entries from the subspecialty websites were analyzed. The average (SD) readability of the online articles was grade level 10.7 (2.3). Of the articles, 117 (93.6%) had a readability score above the sixth-grade level. The readability of the articles exceeded the maximum recommended level by an average of 4.7 grade levels (95% CI, 4.292-5.103; P < 0.001). Compared with 2008, the three societies published more spine-related patient education articles (61 vs. 125, P = 0.045) and the average readability level improved from 11.5 to 10.7 (P = 0.018). Of three examined societies, only one showed significant improvement over time. Our findings suggest that the spine-related PEMs on the NASS, AAOS, and AANS websites have readability levels that may make comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the patient population. Although some progress has been made in the readability of PEMs over the past 7 years, additional improvement is necessary. 2.

Neural Networks for Readability Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEneaney, John E.

This paper describes and reports on the performance of six related artificial neural networks that have been developed for the purpose of readability analysis. Two networks employ counts of linguistic variables that simulate a traditional regression-based approach to readability. The remaining networks determine readability from "visual…

Readability assessment of online ophthalmic patient information.

PubMed

Edmunds, Matthew R; Barry, Robert J; Denniston, Alastair K

2013-12-01

Patients increasingly use the Internet to access information related to their disease, but poor health literacy is known to impact negatively on medical outcomes. Multiple agencies have recommended that patient-oriented literature be written at a fourth- to sixth-grade (9-12 years of age) reading level to assist understanding. The readability of online patient-oriented materials related to ophthalmic diagnoses is not yet known. To assess the readability of online literature specifically for a range of ophthalmic conditions. Body text of the top 10 patient-oriented websites for 16 different ophthalmic diagnoses, covering the full range of ophthalmic subspecialties, was analyzed for readability, source (United Kingdom vs non-United Kingdom, not for profit vs commercial), and appropriateness for sight-impaired readers. Four validated readability formulas were used: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Fog Index (GFOG). Data were compared with the Mann-Whitney test (for 2 groups) and Kruskal-Wallis test (for more than 2 groups) and correlation was assessed by the Spearman r. None of the 160 webpages had readability scores within published guidelines, with 83% assessed as being of "difficult" readability. Not-for-profit webpages were of significantly greater length than commercial webpages (P = .02) and UK-based webpages had slightly superior readability scores compared with those of non-UK webpages (P = .004 to P < .001, depending on the readability formula used). Of all webpages evaluated, only 34% included facility to adjust text size to assist visually impaired readers. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess readability of patient-focused webpages specifically for a range of ophthalmic diagnoses. In keeping with previous studies in other medical conditions, we determined that readability scores were inferior to those recommended, irrespective of the measure used. Although readability is only one aspect of how well a patient-oriented webpage may be comprehended, we recommend the use of readability scoring when producing such resources in the future. Minimum readability policies and inclusion of facilities within webpages to maximize viewing potential for visually impaired readers are important to ensure that online ophthalmic patient information is accessible to the broadest audience possible.

Variation in the Readability of Items Within Surveys

PubMed Central

Calderón, José L.; Morales, Leo S.; Liu, Honghu; Hays, Ron D.

2006-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the variation in the readability of survey items within 2 widely used health-related quality-of-life surveys: the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire–25 (VFQ-25) and the Short Form Health Survey, version 2 (SF-36v2). Flesch-Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease formulas were used to estimate readability. Individual survey item scores and descriptive statistics for each survey were calculated. Variation of individual item scores from the mean survey score was graphically depicted for each survey. The mean reading grade level and reading ease estimates for the VFQ-25 and SF-36v2 were 7.8 (fairly easy) and 6.4 (easy), respectively. Both surveys had notable variation in item readability; individual item readability scores ranged from 3.7 to 12.0 (very easy to difficult) for the VFQ-25 and 2.2 to 12.0 (very easy to difficult) for the SF-36v2. Because survey respondents may not comprehend items with readability scores that exceed their reading ability, estimating the readability of each survey item is an important component of evaluating survey readability. Standards for measuring the readability of surveys are needed. PMID:16401705

Quality and readability of English-language internet information for aphasia.

PubMed

Azios, Jamie H; Bellon-Harn, Monica; Dockens, Ashley L; Manchaiah, Vinaya

2017-08-14

Little is known about the quality and readability of treatment information in specific neurogenic disorders, such as aphasia. The purpose of this study was to assess quality and readability of English-language Internet information available for aphasia treatment. Forty-three aphasia treatment websites were aggregated using five different country-specific search engines. Websites were then analysed using quality and readability assessments. Statistical calculations were employed to examine website ratings, differences between website origin and quality and readability scores, and correlations between readability instruments. Websites exhibited low quality with few websites obtaining Health On the Net (HON) certification or clear, thorough information as measured by the DISCERN. Regardless of website origin, readability scores were also poor. Approximate educational levels required to comprehend information on aphasia treatment websites ranged from 13 to 16 years of education. Significant differences were found between website origin and readability measures with higher levels of education required to understand information on websites of non-profit organisations. Current aphasia treatment websites were found to exhibit low levels of quality and readability, creating potential accessibility problems for people with aphasia and significant others. Websites including treatment information for aphasia must be improved in order to increase greater information accessibility.

Readability assessment of package inserts of biological medicinal products from the European medicines agency website.

PubMed

Piñero-López, Ma Ángeles; Modamio, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Mariño, Eduardo L

2014-07-01

Package inserts that accompany medicines are a common source of information aimed at patients and should match patient abilities in terms of readability. Our objective was to determine the degree of readability of the package inserts for biological medicinal products commercially available in 2007 and compare them with the readability of the same package inserts in 2010. A total of 33 package inserts were selected and classified into five groups according to the type of medicine: monoclonal antibody-based products, cytokines, therapeutic enzymes, recombinant blood factors and other blood-related products, and recombinant hormones. The package inserts were downloaded from the European Medicines Agency website in 2007 and 2010. Readability was evaluated for the entire text of five of the six sections of the package inserts and for the 'Annex' when there was one. Three readability formulas were used: SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) grade, Flesh-Kincaid grade level, and Szigriszt's perspicuity index. No significant differences were found between the readability results for the 2007 package inserts and those from 2010 according to any of the three readability indices studied (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences (p<0.05) between the readability scores of the sections of the package inserts in both 2007 and 2010. The readability of the package inserts was above the recommended sixth grade reading level (ages 11-12) and may lead to difficulties of understanding for people with limited literacy. All the sections should be easy to read and, therefore, the readability of the medicine package inserts studied should be improved.

National Aspects of Creating and Using MARC/RECON Records.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rather, John C., Ed.; Avram, Henriette D., Ed.

The Retrospective Conversion (RECON) Working Task Force investigated the problems of converting retrospective catalog records to machine readable form. The major conclusions and recommendations of the Task Force cover five areas: the level of machine-readable records, conversion of other machine-readable data bases, a machine-readable National…

Readability Levels of Second Grade Hi-Lo Reading Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hllgendorff, Patricia H.

The revised Spache Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Formula were applied to 20 selected reading materials designed for adolescents reading at second grade level. Three samples from each text were examined. The results using the Spache formula corresponded to the publisher's stated readability levels, with no significant variability…

Assessing the Readability of Materials for Elementary ESL Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.; Propst, Ivan K., Jr.

This paper assesses the effectiveness of readability indices, standard cloze procedure, and the matching cloze procedure as determinants of the readability of supplementary English materials for elementary ESL students in a Pacific Island context. A review of readability indices and the standard cloze procedure indicated that neither procedure is…

The Readability of Principles of Macroeconomics Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinkler, Sarah; Woods, James

2013-01-01

The authors evaluated principles of macroeconomics textbooks for readability using Coh-Metrix, a computational linguistics tool. Additionally, they conducted an experiment on Amazon's Mechanical Turk Web site in which participants ranked the readability of text samples. There was a wide range of scores on readability indexes both among…

Source Repeatability of Time-Lapse Offset VSP Surveys for Monitoring CO2 Injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Huang, L.; Rutledge, J. T.; Denli, H.; Zhang, H.; McPherson, B. J.; Grigg, R.

2009-12-01

Time-lapse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) surveys have the potential to remotely track the migration of injected CO2 within a geologic formation. To accurately detect small changes due to CO2 injection, the sources of time-lapse VSP surveys must be located exactly at the same positions. However, in practice, the source locations can vary from one survey to another survey. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that a variation of a few meters in the VSP source locations can result in significant changes in time-lapse seismograms. To address the source repeatability issue, we apply double-difference tomography to downgoing waves of time-lapse offset VSP data to invert for the source locations and the velocity structures simultaneously. In collaboration with Resolute Natural Resources, Navajo National Oil and Gas Company, and the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration under the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, one baseline and two repeat offset VSP datasets were acquired in 2007-2009 for monitoring CO2 injection at the Aneth oil field in Utah. A cemented geophone string was used to acquire the data for one zero-offset and seven offset source locations. During the data acquisition, there was some uncertainty in the repeatability of the source locations relative to the baseline survey. Our double-difference tomography results of the Aneth time-lapse VSP data show that the source locations for different surveys are separated up to a few meters. Accounting for these source location variations during VSP data analysis will improve reliability of time-lapse VSP monitoring.

GREAT: a web portal for Genome Regulatory Architecture Tools

PubMed Central

Bouyioukos, Costas; Bucchini, François; Elati, Mohamed; Képès, François

2016-01-01

GREAT (Genome REgulatory Architecture Tools) is a novel web portal for tools designed to generate user-friendly and biologically useful analysis of genome architecture and regulation. The online tools of GREAT are freely accessible and compatible with essentially any operating system which runs a modern browser. GREAT is based on the analysis of genome layout -defined as the respective positioning of co-functional genes- and its relation with chromosome architecture and gene expression. GREAT tools allow users to systematically detect regular patterns along co-functional genomic features in an automatic way consisting of three individual steps and respective interactive visualizations. In addition to the complete analysis of regularities, GREAT tools enable the use of periodicity and position information for improving the prediction of transcription factor binding sites using a multi-view machine learning approach. The outcome of this integrative approach features a multivariate analysis of the interplay between the location of a gene and its regulatory sequence. GREAT results are plotted in web interactive graphs and are available for download either as individual plots, self-contained interactive pages or as machine readable tables for downstream analysis. The GREAT portal can be reached at the following URL https://absynth.issb.genopole.fr/GREAT and each individual GREAT tool is available for downloading. PMID:27151196

Real-time, interactive animation of deformable two- and three-dimensional objects

DOEpatents

Desbrun, Mathieu; Schroeder, Peter; Meyer, Mark; Barr, Alan H.

2003-06-03

A method of updating in real-time the locations and velocities of mass points of a two- or three-dimensional object represented by a mass-spring system. A modified implicit Euler integration scheme is employed to determine the updated locations and velocities. In an optional post-integration step, the updated locations are corrected to preserve angular momentum. A processor readable medium and a network server each tangibly embodying the method are also provided. A system comprising a processor in combination with the medium, and a system comprising the server in combination with a client for accessing the server over a computer network, are also provided.

Emotioncy: A Potential Measure of Readability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pishghadamn, Reza; Abbasnejad, Hannaheh

2016-01-01

Given the deficiencies of readability formulae as reliable tools for measuring text readability in educational settings, this study aims to offer a new measure to improve the current methods of testing the readability levels of texts through the incorporation of the newly-developed concept of emotioncy. To this end, a group of 221 students were…

The Readability Graph Validated at Primary Levels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Edward B.

The validity of Fry's Readability Graph for determining grade level readability scores was compared with the Spache Formula, the cloze technique, and oral reading in the case of seven primary-level books. Descriptions of these four indicated that to determine grade level, Fry's Readability Graph plots the total number of syllables with the total…

Readability Level of Standardized Test Items and Student Performance: The Forgotten Validity Variable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Margaret A.; Homan, Susan P.

2004-01-01

Test validity issues considered by test developers and school districts rarely include individual item readability levels. In this study, items from a major standardized test were examined for individual item readability level and item difficulty. The Homan-Hewitt Readability Formula was applied to items across three grade levels. Results of…

The Development and Validation of a Formula for Measuring Single-Sentence Test Item Readability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homan, Susan; And Others

1994-01-01

A study was conducted with 782 elementary school students to determine whether the Homan-Hewitt Readability Formula could identify the readability of a single-sentence test item. Results indicate that a relationship exists between students' reading grade levels and responses to test items written at higher readability levels. (SLD)

The Principles of Readability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuBay, William H.

2004-01-01

The principles of readability are in every style manual. Readability formulas are in every writing aid. What is missing is the research and theory on which they stand. This short review of readability research spans 100 years. The first part covers the history of adult literacy studies in the U.S., establishing the stratified nature of the adult…

Readability of online patient education materials from the AAOS web site.

PubMed

Sabharwal, Sanjeev; Badarudeen, Sameer; Unes Kunju, Shebna

2008-05-01

One of the goals of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is to disseminate patient education materials that suit the readability skills of the patient population. According to standard guidelines from healthcare organizations, the readability of patient education materials should be no higher than the sixth-grade level. We hypothesized the readability level of patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site would be higher than the recommended grade level, regardless when the material was available online. Readability scores of all articles from the AAOS Internet-based patient information Web site, "Your Orthopaedic Connection," were determined using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the 426 unique articles was 10.43. Only 10 (2%) of the articles had the recommended readability level of sixth grade or lower. The readability of the articles did not change with time. Our findings suggest the majority of the patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site had readability scores that may be too difficult for comprehension by a substantial portion of the patient population.

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials From the AAOS Web Site

PubMed Central

Badarudeen, Sameer; Unes Kunju, Shebna

2008-01-01

One of the goals of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is to disseminate patient education materials that suit the readability skills of the patient population. According to standard guidelines from healthcare organizations, the readability of patient education materials should be no higher than the sixth-grade level. We hypothesized the readability level of patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site would be higher than the recommended grade level, regardless when the material was available online. Readability scores of all articles from the AAOS Internet-based patient information Web site, “Your Orthopaedic Connection,” were determined using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the 426 unique articles was 10.43. Only 10 (2%) of the articles had the recommended readability level of sixth grade or lower. The readability of the articles did not change with time. Our findings suggest the majority of the patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site had readability scores that may be too difficult for comprehension by a substantial portion of the patient population. PMID:18324452

Readability Level of Spanish-Language Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Audiology and Otolaryngology

PubMed Central

Coco, Laura; Colina, Sonia; Atcherson, Samuel R.

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the readability level of the Spanish versions of several audiology- and otolaryngology-related patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and include a readability analysis of 2 translation approaches when available—the published version and a “functionalist” version—using a team-based collaborative approach including community members. Method Readability levels were calculated using the Fry Graph adapted for Spanish, as well as the Fernandez-Huerta and the Spaulding formulae for several commonly used audiology- and otolaryngology-related PROMs. Results Readability calculations agreed with previous studies analyzing audiology-related PROMs in English and demonstrated many Spanish-language PROMs were beyond the 5th grade reading level suggested for health-related materials written for the average population. In addition, the functionalist versions of the PROMs yielded lower grade-level (improved) readability levels than the published versions. Conclusion Our results suggest many of the Spanish-language PROMs evaluated here are beyond the recommended readability levels and may be influenced by the approach to translation. Moreover, improved readability may be possible using a functionalist approach to translation. Future analysis of the suitability of outcome measures and the quality of their translations should move beyond readability and include an evaluation of the individual's comprehension of the written text. PMID:28892821

PRIMAL: Page Rank-Based Indoor Mapping and Localization Using Gene-Sequenced Unlabeled WLAN Received Signal Strength

PubMed Central

Zhou, Mu; Zhang, Qiao; Xu, Kunjie; Tian, Zengshan; Wang, Yanmeng; He, Wei

2015-01-01

Due to the wide deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN), received signal strength (RSS)-based indoor WLAN localization has attracted considerable attention in both academia and industry. In this paper, we propose a novel page rank-based indoor mapping and localization (PRIMAL) by using the gene-sequenced unlabeled WLAN RSS for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Specifically, first of all, based on the observation of the motion patterns of the people in the target environment, we use the Allen logic to construct the mobility graph to characterize the connectivity among different areas of interest. Second, the concept of gene sequencing is utilized to assemble the sporadically-collected RSS sequences into a signal graph based on the transition relations among different RSS sequences. Third, we apply the graph drawing approach to exhibit both the mobility graph and signal graph in a more readable manner. Finally, the page rank (PR) algorithm is proposed to construct the mapping from the signal graph into the mobility graph. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves satisfactory localization accuracy and meanwhile avoids the intensive time and labor cost involved in the conventional location fingerprinting-based indoor WLAN localization. PMID:26404274

Clearly written, easily comprehended? The readability of websites providing information on epilepsy.

PubMed

Brigo, Francesco; Otte, Willem M; Igwe, Stanley C; Tezzon, Frediano; Nardone, Raffaele

2015-03-01

There is a general need for high-quality, easily accessible, and comprehensive health-care information on epilepsy to better inform the general population about this highly stigmatized neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy level of eight popular English-written websites that provide information on epilepsy in quantitative terms of readability. Educational epilepsy material on these websites, including 41 Wikipedia articles, were analyzed for their overall level of readability and the corresponding academic grade level needed to comprehend the published texts on the first reading. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess ease of comprehension while the Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook scales estimated the corresponding academic grade level needed for comprehension. The average readability of websites yielded results indicative of a difficult-to-fairly-difficult readability level (FRE results: 44.0±8.2), with text readability corresponding to an 11th academic grade level (11.3±1.9). The average FRE score of the Wikipedia articles was indicative of a difficult readability level (25.6±9.5), with the other readability scales yielding results corresponding to a 14th grade level (14.3±1.7). Popular websites providing information on epilepsy, including Wikipedia, often demonstrate a low level of readability. This can be ameliorated by increasing access to clear and concise online information on epilepsy and health in general. Short "basic" summaries targeted to patients and nonmedical users should be added to articles published in specialist websites and Wikipedia to ease readability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Systematic analysis of the readability of patient information on the websites of clinics for plastic surgery].

PubMed

Esfahani, B Janghorban; Faron, A; Roth, K S; Schaller, H-E; Medved, F; Lüers, J-C

2014-12-01

The Internet is becoming increasing-ly important as a source of information for patients in medical issues. However, many patients have problems to adequately understand texts, especially with medical content. A basic requirement to understand a written text is the read-ability of a text. The aim of the present study was to examine texts on the websites of German -plastic-surgical hospitals with patient information regarding their readability. In this study, the read-ability of texts of 27 major departments of plastic and Hand surgery in Germany was systematically analysed using 5 recognised readability indices. First, texts were searched based on 20 representative key words and themes. Thereafter, texts were assigned to one of 3 major themes in order to enable statistical analysis. In addition to the 5 readability indices, further objective text parameters were also recorded. Overall, 288 texts were found for analyzation. Most articles were found on the topic of "handsurgery" (n=124), less were found for "facial plastic surgery" (n=80) and "flaps, breast and reconstructive surgery" (n=84). Consistently, all readability indices showed a poor readability for the vast majority of analysed texts with the text appearing readable only for readers with a higher educational level. No significant differences in readability were found between the 3 major themes. Especially in the communication of medical information, it is important to consider the knowledge and education of the addressee. The texts studied consistently showed a readability that is understandable only for academics. Thus, a large part of the intended target group is probably not reached. In order to adequately deliver online information material, a revision of the analysed internet texts appears to be recommendable. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A critical appraisal of vertebral fracture assessment in paediatrics.

PubMed

Kyriakou, Andreas; Shepherd, Sheila; Mason, Avril; Faisal Ahmed, S

2015-12-01

There is a need to improve our understanding of the clinical utility of vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) in paediatrics and this requires a thorough evaluation of its readability, reproducibility, and accuracy for identifying VF. VFA was performed independently by two observers, in 165 children and adolescents with a median age of 13.4 years (range, 3.6, 18). In 20 of these subjects, VFA was compared to lateral vertebral morphometry assessment on lateral spine X-ray (LVM). 1528 (84%) of the vertebrae were adequately visualised by both observers for VFA. Interobserver agreement in vertebral readability was 94% (kappa, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.68, 0.73]). 93% of the non-readable vertebrae were located between T6 and T9. Interobserver agreement per-vertebra for the presence of VF was 99% (kappa, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.79, 0.91]). Interobserver agreement per-subject was 91% (kappa, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.66, 0.87]). Per-vertebra agreement between LVM and VFA was 95% (kappa 0.79 [95% CI, 0.62, 0.92]) and per-subject agreement was 95% (kappa, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.58, 1.0]). Accepting LVM as the gold standard, VFA had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 90% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 95% in per-vertebra analysis and a PPV of 100% and NPV of 93% in per-subject analysis. VFA reaches an excellent level of agreement between observers and a high level of accuracy in identifying VF in a paediatric population. The readability of vertebrae at the mid thoracic region is suboptimal and interpretation at this level should be exercised with caution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining the online approaches used by hospitals in Sydney, Australia to inform patients about healthcare associated infections and infection prevention strategies.

PubMed

Park, J; Seale, H

2017-12-21

Provision of information plays a critical role in supporting patients to be engaged or empowered to be involved with infection prevention measures in hospitals. This explorative study evaluated the suitability, readability and accessibility of information on healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) and infection prevention strategies targeted at patients from the websites of 19 acute care public hospitals in Sydney, Australia. We included hospitals with greater than 200 beds in the sample. We examined online information targeted at patients on HCAIs and infection prevention and compared it using the Suitability Assessment of Material (SAM) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability formulas for suitability, readability and accessibility. Thirty-six webpages were identified as being relevant and containing information about HCAIs or infection prevention. Based on the SAM/SMOG scores, only three webpages were found to be 'superior'. Many of the webpages scored poorly in content, literacy, graphics, learning stimulation and cultural appropriateness. In comparison, most of the webpages scored well in the layout and typography. The majority (97%) of the materials were written at a level higher than the recommended reading grade level. Lastly, the websites scored poorly on the ability to locate the information easily, as messages about HCAIs/infection prevention were usually embedded into other topics. While providing information online is only one approach to delivering messages about infection prevention, it is becoming increasingly important in today's technology society. Hospitals are neglecting to use best practices when designing their online resources and current websites are difficult to navigate. The findings point to the need to review patient information on HCAIs regarding suitability, readability and accessibility.

Using Readability Tests to Improve the Accuracy of Evaluation Documents Intended for Low-Literate Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouame, Julien B.

2010-01-01

Background: Readability tests are indicators that measure how easy a document can be read and understood. Simple, but very often ignored, readability statistics cannot only provide information about the level of difficulty of the readability of particular documents but also can increase an evaluator's credibility. Purpose: The purpose of this…

37 CFR 1.825 - Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof. 1.825 Section 1.825 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.825 Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy... copy of the computer readable form (§ 1.821(e)) including all previously submitted data with the...

37 CFR 1.825 - Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof. 1.825 Section 1.825 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.825 Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy... copy of the computer readable form (§ 1.821(e)) including all previously submitted data with the...

37 CFR 1.825 - Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof. 1.825 Section 1.825 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.825 Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy... copy of the computer readable form (§ 1.821(e)) including all previously submitted data with the...

A Study of Readability of Texts in Bangla through Machine Learning Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinha, Manjira; Basu, Anupam

2016-01-01

In this work, we have investigated text readability in Bangla language. Text readability is an indicator of the suitability of a given document with respect to a target reader group. Therefore, text readability has huge impact on educational content preparation. The advances in the field of natural language processing have enabled the automatic…

37 CFR 1.825 - Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof. 1.825 Section 1.825 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.825 Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy... copy of the computer readable form (§ 1.821(e)) including all previously submitted data with the...

37 CFR 1.825 - Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of sequence listing and computer readable copy thereof. 1.825 Section 1.825 Patents, Trademarks, and... Amino Acid Sequences § 1.825 Amendments to or replacement of sequence listing and computer readable copy... copy of the computer readable form (§ 1.821(e)) including all previously submitted data with the...

Readability analysis of online health information about overactive bladder.

PubMed

Koo, Kevin; Shee, Kevin; Yap, Ronald L

2017-09-01

Despite the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) and the widespread accessibility of patient education information on the Internet, the readability of this information and its potential impact on patient decision-making are not known. This study evaluates the readability of OAB material online in the context of website ownership and the Health on the Net standard for information reliability. Three Internet search platforms were queried daily with OAB-related keywords for 30 days. Readability analysis was performed using the SMOG test, Dale-Chall readability formula, and Fry readability graph. Websites were stratified by ownership type and Health on the Net certification to compare readability metrics. After 270 total searches, 57 websites were analyzed. Mean SMOG reading grade was 10.7 (SD = 1.6) and 10.1 in an adjusted calculation to reduce overestimation from medical jargon. Mean Dale-Chall score was 9.2 (SD = 0.9), or grade 13-15. Mean Fry graph coordinates (177 syllables, 5.9 sentences) corresponded to grade 15. Only seven sites (12%) were predicted to be readable by the average adult with an eighth-grade reading level. Mean reading grades were not significantly different between academic versus commercial sites and Health on the Net-certified versus non-certified sites. A large majority of online information about OAB treatment exceeds the reading ability of most adults. Neither websites sponsored by academic institutions nor those certified by the Health on the Net standard have easier readability. The readability of health information online may be distinct from reliability in the context of urological literacy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Universally Designed Text on the Web: Towards Readability Criteria Based on Anti-Patterns.

PubMed

Eika, Evelyn

2016-01-01

The readability of web texts affects accessibility. The Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAG) state that the recommended reading level should match that of someone who has completed basic schooling. However, WCAG does not give advice on what constitutes an appropriate reading level. Web authors need tools to help composing WCAG compliant texts, and specific criteria are needed. Classic readability metrics are generally based on lengths of words and sentences and have been criticized for being over-simplistic. Automatic measures and classifications of texts' reading levels employing more advanced constructs remain an unresolved problem. If such measures were feasible, what should these be? This work examines three language constructs not captured by current readability indices but believed to significantly affect actual readability, namely, relative clauses, garden path sentences, and left-branching structures. The goal is to see whether quantifications of these stylistic features reflect readability and how they correspond to common readability measures. Manual assessments of a set of authentic web texts for such uses were conducted. The results reveal that texts related to narratives such as children's stories, which are given the highest readability value, do not contain these constructs. The structures in question occur more frequently in expository texts that aim at educating or disseminating information such as strategy and journal articles. The results suggest that language anti-patterns hold potential for establishing a set of deeper readability criteria.

Readability Levels of First and Second Grade Basal Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langan, Yvette

The Fry Readability Formula was used to determine the readability levels of 12 first and second grade basal texts. These texts were part of the Ginn 360, Ginn 720, and Macmillan Series "r" basal reader series. The results showed that 4 of the 12 books tested did not correspond closely to the publisher's readability levels. The Ginn 720 text for…

How readable are Australian paediatric oral health education materials?

PubMed

Arora, Amit; Lam, Andy S F; Karami, Zahra; Do, Loc Giang; Harris, Mark Fort

2014-09-02

The objective of this study was to analyse the readability of paediatric oral health education leaflets available in Australia. Forty paediatric oral health education materials were analysed for general readability according to the following parameters: Thoroughness; Textual framework; Terminology; and Readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Gunning Fog index (Fog) and Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG)). Leaflets produced by the industry were among the hardest to read with an average readability at the 8th grade (8.4 ± 0.1). The readability of leaflets produced by the commercial sector was at the 7th grade (7.1 ± 1.7) and the government at the 6th grade (6.3 ± 1.9). The FKGL consistently yielded readabilities 2 grades below the Fog and SMOG indexes. In the content analyses, 14 essential paediatric oral health topics were noted and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) was identified as the most commonly used jargon term. Paediatric oral health education materials are readily available, yet their quality and readability vary widely and may be difficult to read for disadvantaged populations in Australia. A redesign of these leaflets while taking literacy into consideration is suggested.

A systematic review of readability and comprehension instruments used for print and web-based cancer information.

PubMed

Friedman, Daniela B; Hoffman-Goetz, Laurie

2006-06-01

Adequate functional literacy skills positively influence individuals' ability to take control of their health. Print and Web-based cancer information is often written at difficult reading levels. This systematic review evaluates readability instruments (FRE, F-K, Fog, SMOG, Fry) used to assess print and Web-based cancer information and word recognition and comprehension tests (Cloze, REALM, TOFHLA, WRAT) that measure people's health literacy. Articles on readability and comprehension instruments explicitly used for cancer information were assembled by searching MEDLINE and Psyc INFO from 1993 to 2003. In all, 23 studies were included; 16 on readability, 6 on comprehension, and 1 on readability and comprehension. Of the readability investigations, 14 focused on print materials, and 2 assessed Internet information. Comprehension and word recognition measures were not applied to Web-based information. None of the formulas were designed to determine the effects of visuals or design factors that could influence readability and comprehension of cancer education information.

Readability of online patient education materials on adult reconstruction Web sites.

PubMed

Polishchuk, Daniil L; Hashem, Jenifer; Sabharwal, Sanjeev

2012-05-01

Recommended readability of patient education materials is sixth-grade level or lower. Readability of 212 patient education materials pertaining to adult reconstruction topics available from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and 3 other specialty and private practitioner Web sites was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid score was 11.1 (range, 3-26.5). Only 5 (2%) articles had a readability level of sixth grade or lower. Readability of most of the articles for patient education on adult reconstruction Web sites evaluated may be too advanced for a substantial portion of patients. Further studies are needed to assess the optimal readability level of health information on the Internet. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Schema for Spacecraft-Command Dictionary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laubach, Sharon; Garcia, Celina; Maxwell, Scott; Wright, Jesse

2008-01-01

An Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema was developed as a means of defining and describing a structure for capturing spacecraft command- definition and tracking information in a single location in a form readable by both engineers and software used to generate software for flight and ground systems. A structure defined within this schema is then used as the basis for creating an XML file that contains command definitions.

Improving the readability of online foot and ankle patient education materials.

PubMed

Sheppard, Evan D; Hyde, Zane; Florence, Mason N; McGwin, Gerald; Kirchner, John S; Ponce, Brent A

2014-12-01

Previous studies have shown the need for improving the readability of many patient education materials to increase patient comprehension. This study's purpose was to determine the readability of foot and ankle patient education materials and to determine the extent readability can be improved. We hypothesized that the reading levels would be above the recommended guidelines and that decreasing the sentence length would also decrease the reading level of these patient educational materials. Patient education materials from online public sources were collected. The readability of these articles was assessed by a readability software program. The detailed instructions provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were then used as a guideline for performing edits to help improve the readability of selected articles. The most quantitative guideline, lowering all sentences to less than 15 words, was chosen to show the effect of following the NIH recommendations. The reading levels of the sampled articles were above the sixth to seventh grade recommendations of the NIH. The MedlinePlus website, which is a part of the NIH website, had the lowest reading level (8.1). The articles edited had an average reduction of 1.41 grade levels, with the lowest reduction in the Medline articles of 0.65. Providing detailed instructions to the authors writing these patient education articles and implementing editing techniques based on previous recommendations could lead to an improvement in the readability of patient education materials. This study provides authors of patient education materials with simple editing techniques that will allow for the improvement in the readability of online patient educational materials. The improvement in readability will provide patients with more comprehendible education materials that can strengthen patient awareness of medical problems and treatments. © The Author(s) 2014.

Readability of Online Patient Educational Resources Found on NCI-Designated Cancer Center Web Sites.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Stephen A; Francis, David; Hullett, Craig R; Morris, Zachary S; Fisher, Michael M; Brower, Jeffrey V; Bradley, Kristin A; Anderson, Bethany M; Bassetti, Michael F; Kimple, Randall J

2016-06-01

The NIH and Department of Health & Human Services recommend online patient information (OPI) be written at a sixth grade level. We used a panel of readability analyses to assess OPI from NCI-Designated Cancer Center (NCIDCC) Web sites. Cancer.gov was used to identify 68 NCIDCC Web sites from which we collected both general OPI and OPI specific to breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers. This text was analyzed by 10 commonly used readability tests: the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, Flesch Reading Ease scale, Flesch-Kinaid Grade Level, FORCAST scale, Fry Readability Graph, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook test, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook index, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate Graph, and Coleman-Liau Index. We tested the hypothesis that the readability of NCIDCC OPI was written at the sixth grade level. Secondary analyses were performed to compare readability of OPI between comprehensive and noncomprehensive centers, by region, and to OPI produced by the American Cancer Society (ACS). A mean of 30,507 words from 40 comprehensive and 18 noncomprehensive NCIDCCs was analyzed (7 nonclinical and 3 without appropriate OPI were excluded). Using a composite grade level score, the mean readability score of 12.46 (ie, college level: 95% CI, 12.13-12.79) was significantly greater than the target grade level of 6 (middle-school: P<.001). No difference between comprehensive and noncomprehensive centers was identified. Regional differences were identified in 4 of the 10 readability metrics (P<.05). ACS OPI provides easier language, at the seventh to ninth grade level, across all tests (P<.01). OPI from NCIDCC Web sites is more complex than recommended for the average patient. Copyright © 2016 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

[Readability of surgical informed consent in Spain].

PubMed

San Norberto, Enrique María; Gómez-Alonso, Daniel; Trigueros, José M; Quiroga, Jorge; Gualis, Javier; Vaquero, Carlos

2014-03-01

To assess the readability of informed consent documents (IC) of the different national surgical societies. During January 2012 we collected 504 IC protocols of different specialties. To calculate readability parameters the following criteria were assessed: number of words, syllables and phrases, syllables/word and word/phrase averages, Word correlation index, Flesch-Szigriszt index, Huerta Fernández index, Inflesz scale degree and the Gunning-Fog index. The mean Flesch-Szigriszt index was 50.65 ± 6,72, so readability is considered normal. There are significant differences between specialties such as Urology (43.00 ± 4.17) and Angiology and Vascular Surgery (63.00 ± 3.26, P<.001). No IC would be appropriate for adult readability according to the Fernández-Huerta index (total mean 55.77 ± 6.57); the IC of Angiology and Vascular Surgery were the closest ones (67.85 ± 3.20). Considering the Inflesz scale degree (total mean of 2.84 ± 3,23), IC can be described as «somewhat difficult». There are significant differences between the IC of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (3.23 ± 0.47) that could be qualified as normal, or Cardiovascular Surgery (2.79 ± 0.43) as «nearly normal readability»; and others such as Urology (1, 70 ± 0.46, P<.001) and Thoracic Surgery (1.90 ± 0.30, P<.001), with a readability between «very» and «somewhat» difficult. The Gunning-Fog indexes are far from the readability for a general audience (total mean of 26.29 ± 10,89). IC developed by scientific societies of different surgical specialties do not have an adequate readability for patients. We recommend the use of readability indexes during the writing of these consent forms. Copyright © 2012 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Reply to "Further issues in determining the readability of self-report items: comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)".

PubMed

McHugh, R Kathryn; Behar, Evelyn

2012-12-01

In his commentary on our previously published article "Readability of Self-Report Measures of Depression and Anxiety," J. Schinka (2012) argued for the importance of considering readability of patient materials and highlighted limitations of existing methodologies for this assessment. Schinka's commentary articulately described the weaknesses of readability assessment and emphasized the importance of the development of improved strategies for assessing readability to maximize the validity of self-report measures in applied settings. In our reply, we support and extend Schinka's argument, highlighting the importance of consideration of the range of factors (e.g., use of reverse-scored items) that may increase respondent difficulty with comprehension. Consideration of the readability of self-report symptom measures is critical to the validity of these measures in both clinical practice and research settings.

Readability of Invasive Procedure Consent Forms.

PubMed

Eltorai, Adam E M; Naqvi, Syed S; Ghanian, Soha; Eberson, Craig P; Weiss, Arnold-Peter C; Born, Christopher T; Daniels, Alan H

2015-12-01

Informed consent is a pillar of ethical medicine which requires patients to fully comprehend relevant issues including the risks, benefits, and alternatives of an intervention. Given the average reading skill of US adults is at the 8th grade level, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend patient information materials should not exceed a 6th grade reading level. We hypothesized that text provided in invasive procedure consent forms would exceed recommended readability guidelines for medical information. To test this hypothesis, we gathered procedure consent forms from all surgical inpatient hospitals in the state of Rhode Island. For each consent form, readability analysis was measured with the following measures: Flesch Reading Ease Formula, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Fog Scale, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Linsear Write Formula. These readability scores were used to calculate a composite Text Readability Consensus Grade Level. Invasive procedure consent forms were found to be written at an average of 15th grade level (i.e., third year of college), which is significantly higher than the average US adult reading level of 8th grade (p < 0.0001) and the AMA/NIH recommended readability guidelines for patient materials of 6th grade (p < 0.0001). Invasive procedure consent forms have readability levels which makes comprehension difficult or impossible for many patients. Efforts to improve the readability of procedural consent forms should improve patient understanding regarding their healthcare decisions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Readability of Invasive Procedure Consent Forms

PubMed Central

Eltorai, Adam E. M.; Naqvi, Syed S.; Ghanian, Soha; Eberson, Craig P.; Weiss, Arnold‐Peter C.; Born, Christopher T.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background Informed consent is a pillar of ethical medicine which requires patients to fully comprehend relevant issues including the risks, benefits, and alternatives of an intervention. Given the average reading skill of US adults is at the 8th grade level, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend patient information materials should not exceed a 6th grade reading level. We hypothesized that text provided in invasive procedure consent forms would exceed recommended readability guidelines for medical information. Materials and methods To test this hypothesis, we gathered procedure consent forms from all surgical inpatient hospitals in the state of Rhode Island. For each consent form, readability analysis was measured with the following measures: Flesch Reading Ease Formula, Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, Fog Scale, SMOG Index, Coleman–Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Linsear Write Formula. These readability scores were used to calculate a composite Text Readability Consensus Grade Level. Results Invasive procedure consent forms were found to be written at an average of 15th grade level (i.e., third year of college), which is significantly higher than the average US adult reading level of 8th grade (p < 0.0001) and the AMA/NIH recommended readability guidelines for patient materials of 6th grade (p < 0.0001). Conclusion Invasive procedure consent forms have readability levels which makes comprehension difficult or impossible for many patients. Efforts to improve the readability of procedural consent forms should improve patient understanding regarding their healthcare decisions. PMID:26678039

Readability and Understandability of Online Vocal Cord Paralysis Materials.

PubMed

Balakrishnan, Vini; Chandy, Zachariah; Hseih, Amy; Bui, Thanh-Lan; Verma, Sunil P

2016-03-01

Patients use several online resources to learn about vocal cord paralysis (VCP). The objective of this study was to assess the readability and understandability of online VCP patient education materials (PEMs), with readability assessments and the Patient Education Materials Evaluation Tool (PEMAT), respectively. The relationship between readability and understandability was then analyzed. Descriptive and correlational design. Online PEMs were identified by performing a Google search with the term "vocal cord paralysis." After scientific webpages, news articles, and information for medical professionals were excluded, 29 articles from the first 50 search results were considered. Readability analysis was performed with 6 formulas. Four individuals with different educational backgrounds conducted understandability analysis with the PEMAT. Fleiss's Kappa interrater reliability analysis determined consistency among raters. Correlation between readability and understandability was determined with Pearson's correlation test. The reading level of the reviewed articles ranged from grades 9 to 17. Understandability ranged from 29% to 82%. Correlation analysis demonstrated a strong negative correlation between materials' readability and understandability (r = -0.462, P < .05). Online PEMs pertaining to VCP are written above the recommended reading levels. Overall, materials written at lower grade levels are more understandable. However, articles of identical grade levels had varying levels of understandability. The PEMAT may provide a more critical evaluation of the quality of a PEM when compared with readability formulas. Both readability and understandability should be used to evaluate PEMs. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Directional radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Dowell, Jonathan L.

2017-09-12

Directional radiation detectors and systems, methods, and computer-readable media for using directional radiation detectors to locate a radiation source are provided herein. A directional radiation detector includes a radiation sensor. A radiation attenuator partially surrounds the radiation sensor and defines an aperture through which incident radiation is received by the radiation sensor. The aperture is positioned such that when incident radiation is received directly through the aperture and by the radiation sensor, a source of the incident radiation is located within a solid angle defined by the aperture. The radiation sensor senses at least one of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma particles, or neutrons.

Readability Assessment of Online Patient Education Material on Congestive Heart Failure.

PubMed

Kher, Akhil; Johnson, Sandra; Griffith, Robert

2017-01-01

Online health information is being used more ubiquitously by the general population. However, this information typically favors only a small percentage of readers, which can result in suboptimal medical outcomes for patients. The readability of online patient education materials regarding the topic of congestive heart failure was assessed through six readability assessment tools. The search phrase "congestive heart failure" was employed into the search engine Google. Out of the first 100 websites, only 70 were included attending to compliance with selection and exclusion criteria. These were then assessed through six readability assessment tools. Only 5 out of 70 websites were within the limits of the recommended sixth-grade readability level. The mean readability scores were as follows: the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.79), Gunning-Fog Score (11.95), Coleman-Liau Index (15.17), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index (11.39), and the Flesch Reading Ease (48.87). Most of the analyzed websites were found to be above the sixth-grade readability level recommendations. Efforts need to be made to better tailor online patient education materials to the general population.

Assessing the Accuracy and Readability of Online Health Information for Patients With Pancreatic Cancer.

PubMed

Storino, Alessandra; Castillo-Angeles, Manuel; Watkins, Ammara A; Vargas, Christina; Mancias, Joseph D; Bullock, Andrea; Demirjian, Aram; Moser, A James; Kent, Tara S

2016-09-01

The degree to which patients are empowered by written educational materials depends on the text's readability level and the accuracy of the information provided. The association of a website's affiliation or focus on treatment modality with its readability and accuracy has yet to be thoroughly elucidated. To compare the readability and accuracy of patient-oriented online resources for pancreatic cancer by treatment modality and website affiliation. An online search of 50 websites discussing 5 pancreatic cancer treatment modalities (alternative therapy, chemotherapy, clinical trials, radiation therapy, and surgery) was conducted. The website's affiliation was identified. Readability was measured by 9 standardized tests, and accuracy was assessed by an expert panel. Nine standardized tests were used to compute the median readability level of each website. The median readability scores were compared among treatment modality and affiliation categories. Accuracy was determined by an expert panel consisting of 2 medical specialists and 2 surgical specialists. The 4 raters independently evaluated all websites belonging to the 5 treatment modalities (a score of 1 indicates that <25% of the information is accurate, a score of 2 indicates that 26%-50% of the information is accurate, a score of 3 indicates that 51%-75% of the information is accurate, a score of 4 indicates that 76%-99% of the information is accurate, and a score of 5 indicates that 100% of the information is accurate). The 50 evaluated websites differed in readability and accuracy based on the focus of the treatment modality and the website's affiliation. Websites discussing surgery (with a median readability level of 13.7 and an interquartile range [IQR] of 11.9-15.6) were easier to read than those discussing radiotherapy (median readability level, 15.2 [IQR, 13.0-17.0]) (P = .003) and clinical trials (median readability level, 15.2 [IQR, 12.8-17.0]) (P = .002). Websites of nonprofit organizations (median readability level, 12.9 [IQR, 11.2-15.0]) were easier to read than media (median readability level, 16.0 [IQR, 13.4-17.0]) (P < .001) and academic (median readability level, 14.8 [IQR, 12.9-17.0]) (P < .001) websites. Privately owned websites (median readability level, 14.0 [IQR, 12.1-16.1]) were easier to read than media websites (P = .001). Among treatment modalities, alternative therapy websites exhibited the lowest accuracy scores (median accuracy score, 2 [IQR, 1-4]) (P < .001). Nonprofit (median accuracy score, 4 [IQR, 4-5]), government (median accuracy score, 5 [IQR, 4-5]), and academic (median accuracy score, 4 [IQR, 3.5-5]) websites were more accurate than privately owned (median accuracy score, 3.5 [IQR, 1.5-4]) and media (median accuracy score, 4 [IQR, 2-4]) websites (P < .004). Websites with higher accuracy were more difficult to read than websites with lower accuracy. Online information on pancreatic cancer overestimates the reading ability of the overall population and lacks accurate information about alternative therapy. In the absence of quality control on the Internet, physicians should provide guidance to patients in the selection of online resources with readable and accurate information.

Readability Analysis of the Package Leaflets for Biological Medicines Available on the Internet Between 2007 and 2013: An Analytical Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background The package leaflet included in the packaging of all medicinal products plays an important role in the transmission of medicine-related information to patients. Therefore, in 2009, the European Commission published readability guidelines to try to ensure that the information contained in the package leaflet is understood by patients. Objective The main objective of this study was to calculate and compare the readability levels and length (number of words) of the package leaflets for biological medicines in 2007, 2010, and 2013. Methods The sample of this study included 36 biological medicine package leaflets that were downloaded from the European Medicines Agency website in three different years: 2007, 2010, and 2013. The readability of the selected package leaflets was obtained using the following readability formulas: SMOG grade, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Szigriszt’s perspicuity index. The length (number of words) of the package leaflets was also measured. Afterwards, the relationship between these quantitative variables (three readability indexes and length) and categorical (or qualitative) variables were analyzed. The categorical variables were the year when the package leaflet was downloaded, the package leaflet section, type of medicine, year of authorization of biological medicine, and marketing authorization holder. Results The readability values of all the package leaflets exceeded the sixth-grade reading level, which is the recommended value for health-related written materials. No statistically significant differences were found between the three years of study in the readability indexes, although differences were observed in the case of the length (P=.002), which increased over the study period. When the relationship between readability indexes and length and the other variables was analyzed, statistically significant differences were found between package leaflet sections (P<.001) and between the groups of medicine only with regard to the length over the three studied years (P=.002 in 2007, P=.007 in 2010, P=.009 in 2013). Linear correlation was observed between the readability indexes (SMOG grade and Flesch-Kincaid grade level: r2=.92; SMOG grade and Szigriszt’s perspicuity index: r2=.81; Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Szigriszt’s perspicuity index: r2=.95), but not between the readability indexes and the length (length and SMOG grade: r2=.05; length and Flesch-Kincaid grade level: r2=.03; length and Szigriszt’s perspicuity index: r2=.02). Conclusions There was no improvement in the readability of the package leaflets studied between 2007 and 2013 despite the European Commission’s 2009 guideline on the readability of package leaflets. The results obtained from the different readability formulas coincided from a qualitative point of view. Efforts to improve the readability of package leaflets for biological medicines are required to promote the understandability and accessibility of this online health information by patients and thereby contribute to the appropriate use of medicines and medicine safety. PMID:27226241

Readability Analysis of the Package Leaflets for Biological Medicines Available on the Internet Between 2007 and 2013: An Analytical Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Piñero-López, María Ángeles; Modamio, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Mariño, Eduardo L

2016-05-25

The package leaflet included in the packaging of all medicinal products plays an important role in the transmission of medicine-related information to patients. Therefore, in 2009, the European Commission published readability guidelines to try to ensure that the information contained in the package leaflet is understood by patients. The main objective of this study was to calculate and compare the readability levels and length (number of words) of the package leaflets for biological medicines in 2007, 2010, and 2013. The sample of this study included 36 biological medicine package leaflets that were downloaded from the European Medicines Agency website in three different years: 2007, 2010, and 2013. The readability of the selected package leaflets was obtained using the following readability formulas: SMOG grade, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and Szigriszt's perspicuity index. The length (number of words) of the package leaflets was also measured. Afterwards, the relationship between these quantitative variables (three readability indexes and length) and categorical (or qualitative) variables were analyzed. The categorical variables were the year when the package leaflet was downloaded, the package leaflet section, type of medicine, year of authorization of biological medicine, and marketing authorization holder. The readability values of all the package leaflets exceeded the sixth-grade reading level, which is the recommended value for health-related written materials. No statistically significant differences were found between the three years of study in the readability indexes, although differences were observed in the case of the length (P=.002), which increased over the study period. When the relationship between readability indexes and length and the other variables was analyzed, statistically significant differences were found between package leaflet sections (P<.001) and between the groups of medicine only with regard to the length over the three studied years (P=.002 in 2007, P=.007 in 2010, P=.009 in 2013). Linear correlation was observed between the readability indexes (SMOG grade and Flesch-Kincaid grade level: r(2)=.92; SMOG grade and Szigriszt's perspicuity index: r(2)=.81; Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Szigriszt's perspicuity index: r(2)=.95), but not between the readability indexes and the length (length and SMOG grade: r(2)=.05; length and Flesch-Kincaid grade level: r(2)=.03; length and Szigriszt's perspicuity index: r(2)=.02). There was no improvement in the readability of the package leaflets studied between 2007 and 2013 despite the European Commission's 2009 guideline on the readability of package leaflets. The results obtained from the different readability formulas coincided from a qualitative point of view. Efforts to improve the readability of package leaflets for biological medicines are required to promote the understandability and accessibility of this online health information by patients and thereby contribute to the appropriate use of medicines and medicine safety.

A Comparison of the Readability of Selected Instructions, Publications and Forms Commonly Used by Adults and the Minimum Literacy Level as Defined by the United States Office of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beris, Carole

The Fry Readability Graph was used to assess the approximate readability level of each of 23 selected instructions, publications, and forms commonly used by adults in order to compare their readability levels with the minimum literacy level as defined by the United States Office of Education (approximately the eighth grade level). The results…

How Readable Is BPH Treatment Information on the Internet? Assessing Barriers to Literacy in Prostate Health

PubMed Central

Koo, Kevin; Yap, Ronald L.

2016-01-01

Information about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has become increasingly accessible on the Internet. Though the ability to find such material is encouraging, its readability and impact on informing patient decision making are not known. To evaluate the readability of Internet-based information about BPH in the context of website ownership and Health on the Net certification, three search engines were queried daily for 1 month with BPH-related keywords. Website ownership data and Health on the Net certification status were verified. Three readability analyses were performed: SMOG test, Dale–Chall readability formula, and Fry readability graph. An adjusted SMOG calculation was performed to reduce overestimation from medical jargon. After a total of 270 searches, 52 websites met inclusion criteria. Mean SMOG grade was 10.6 (SD = 1.4) and 10.2 after adjustment. Mean Dale–Chall score was 9.1 (SD = 0.6), or Grades 13 to 15. Mean Fry graph coordinates (173 syllables, 5.1 sentences) corresponded to Grade 15. Seven sites (13%) were at or below the average adult reading level based on SMOG; none of the sites qualified based on the other tests. Readability was significantly poorer for academic versus commercial sites and for Health on the Net-certified versus noncertified sites. In conclusion, online information about BPH treatment markedly exceeds the reading comprehension of most U.S. adults. Websites maintained by academic institutions and certified by the Health on the Net standard have more difficult readability. Efforts to improve literacy with respect to urological health should target content readability independent of reliability. PMID:27903952

How Readable Is BPH Treatment Information on the Internet? Assessing Barriers to Literacy in Prostate Health.

PubMed

Koo, Kevin; Yap, Ronald L

2017-03-01

Information about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has become increasingly accessible on the Internet. Though the ability to find such material is encouraging, its readability and impact on informing patient decision making are not known. To evaluate the readability of Internet-based information about BPH in the context of website ownership and Health on the Net certification, three search engines were queried daily for 1 month with BPH-related keywords. Website ownership data and Health on the Net certification status were verified. Three readability analyses were performed: SMOG test, Dale-Chall readability formula, and Fry readability graph. An adjusted SMOG calculation was performed to reduce overestimation from medical jargon. After a total of 270 searches, 52 websites met inclusion criteria. Mean SMOG grade was 10.6 ( SD = 1.4) and 10.2 after adjustment. Mean Dale-Chall score was 9.1 ( SD = 0.6), or Grades 13 to 15. Mean Fry graph coordinates (173 syllables, 5.1 sentences) corresponded to Grade 15. Seven sites (13%) were at or below the average adult reading level based on SMOG; none of the sites qualified based on the other tests. Readability was significantly poorer for academic versus commercial sites and for Health on the Net-certified versus noncertified sites. In conclusion, online information about BPH treatment markedly exceeds the reading comprehension of most U.S. adults. Websites maintained by academic institutions and certified by the Health on the Net standard have more difficult readability. Efforts to improve literacy with respect to urological health should target content readability independent of reliability.

Readability of Patient Education Materials in Hand Surgery and Health Literacy Best Practices for Improvement.

PubMed

Hadden, Kristie; Prince, Latrina Y; Schnaekel, Asa; Couch, Cory G; Stephenson, John M; Wyrick, Theresa O

2016-08-01

This study aimed to update a portion of a 2008 study of patient education materials from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site with new readability results, to compare the results to health literacy best practices, and to make recommendations to the field for improvement. A sample of 77 patient education documents were downloaded from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site, handcare.org, and assessed for readability using 4 readability tools. Mean readability grade-level scores were derived. Best practices for plain language for written health materials were compiled from 3 government agency sources. The mean readability of the 77 patient education documents in the study was 9.3 grade level. This reading level is reduced from the previous study in 2008 in which the overall mean was 10.6; however, the current sample grade level still exceeds recommended readability according to best practices. Despite a small body of literature on the readability of patient education materials related to hand surgery and other orthopedic issues over the last 7 years, readability was not dramatically improved in our current sample. Using health literacy as a framework, improvements in hand surgery patient education may result in better understanding and better outcomes for patients seeing hand surgeons. Improved understanding of patient education materials related to hand surgery may improve preventable negative outcomes that are clinically significant as well as contribute to improved quality of life for patients. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability assessment of patient education materials on major otolaryngology association websites.

PubMed

Eloy, Jean Anderson; Li, Shawn; Kasabwala, Khushabu; Agarwal, Nitin; Hansberry, David R; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael

2012-11-01

Various otolaryngology associations provide Internet-based patient education material (IPEM) to the general public. However, this information may be written above the fourth- to sixth-grade reading level recommended by the American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of otolaryngology-related IPEMs on various otolaryngology association websites and to determine whether they are above the recommended reading level for patient education materials. Analysis of patient education materials from 9 major otolaryngology association websites. The readability of 262 otolaryngology-related IPEMs was assessed with 8 numerical and 2 graphical readability tools. Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) analysis. Mean readability scores for each otolaryngology association website were compared. Mean website readability scores using Flesch Reading Ease test, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Coleman-Liau Index, SMOG grading, Gunning Fog Index, New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, FORCAST Formula, New Fog Count Test, Raygor Readability Estimate, and the Fry Readability Graph ranged from 20.0 to 57.8, 9.7 to 17.1, 10.7 to 15.9, 11.6 to 18.2, 10.9 to 15.0, 8.6 to 16.0, 10.4 to 12.1, 8.5 to 11.8, 10.5 to 17.0, and 10.0 to 17.0, respectively. ANOVA results indicate a significant difference (P < .05) between the websites for each individual assessment. The IPEMs found on all otolaryngology association websites exceed the recommended fourth- to sixth-grade reading level.

Readability of Trauma-Related Patient Education Materials From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

PubMed

Eltorai, Adam E M; P Thomas, Nathan; Yang, Heejae; Daniels, Alan H; Born, Christopher T

2016-02-01

According to the american medical association (AMA) and the national institutes of health (NIH), the recommended readability of patient education materials should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level. The online patient education information produced by the american academy of orthopaedic surgeons (AAOS) may be too complicated for some patients to understand. This study evaluated whether the AAOS's online trauma-related patient education materials meet recommended readability guidelines for medical information. Ninety-nine articles from the "Broken Bones and Injuries" section of the AAOS-produced patient education website, orthoinfo.org, were analyzed for grade level readability using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, a widely-used and validated tool to evaluate the text reading level. Results for each webpage were compared to the AMA/NIH recommended sixth-grade reading level and the average reading level of U.S. adults (eighth-grade). The mean (SD) grade level readability for all patient education articles was 8.8 (1.1). All but three of the articles had a readability score above the sixth-grade level. The readability of the articles exceeded this level by an average of 2.8 grade levels (95% confidence interval, 2.6 - 3.0; P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the average readability of the articles exceeded the average reading skill level of U.S. adults (eighth grade) by nearly an entire grade level (95% confidence interval, 0.6-1.0; P < 0.0001). The majority of the trauma-related articles from the AAOS patient education website have readability levels that may make comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the patient population.

Assessment of online patient education materials from major ophthalmologic associations.

PubMed

Huang, Grace; Fang, Christina H; Agarwal, Nitin; Bhagat, Neelakshi; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Langer, Paul D

2015-04-01

Patients are increasingly using the Internet to supplement finding medical information, which can be complex and requires a high level of reading comprehension. Online ophthalmologic materials from major ophthalmologic associations should be written at an appropriate reading level. To assess ophthalmologic online patient education materials (PEMs) on ophthalmologic association websites and to determine whether they are above the reading level recommended by the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health. Descriptive and correlational design. Patient education materials from major ophthalmology websites were downloaded from June 1, 2014, through June 30, 2014, and assessed for level of readability using 10 scales. The Flesch Reading Ease test, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook test, Coleman-Liau Index, Gunning Fog Index, New Fog Count, New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, FORCAST scale, Raygor Readability Estimate Graph, and Fry Readability Graph were used. Text from each article was pasted into Microsoft Word and analyzed using the software Readability Studio professional edition version 2012.1 for Windows. Flesch Reading Ease score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook grade, Coleman-Liau Index score, Gunning Fog Index score, New Fog Count, New Dale-Chall Readability Formula score, FORCAST score, Raygor Readability Estimate Graph score, and Fry Readability Graph score. Three hundred thirty-nine online PEMs were assessed. The mean Flesch Reading Ease score was 40.7 (range, 17.0-51.0), which correlates with a difficult level of reading. The mean readability grade levels ranged as follows: 10.4 to 12.6 for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level; 12.9 to 17.7 for the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook test; 11.4 to 15.8 for the Coleman-Liau Index; 12.4 to 18.7 for the Gunning Fog Index; 8.2 to 16.0 for the New Fog Count; 11.2 to 16.0 for the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula; 10.9 to 12.5 for the FORCAST scale; 11.0 to 17.0 for the Raygor Readability Estimate Graph; and 12.0 to 17.0 for the Fry Readability Graph. Analysis of variance demonstrated a significant difference (P < .001) between the websites for each reading scale. Online PEMs on major ophthalmologic association websites are written well above the recommended reading level. Consideration should be given to revision of these materials to allow greater comprehension among a wider audience.

Organic light emitting board for dynamic interactive display

PubMed Central

Kim, Eui Hyuk; Cho, Sung Hwan; Lee, Ju Han; Jeong, Beomjin; Kim, Richard Hahnkee; Yu, Seunggun; Lee, Tae-Woo; Shim, Wooyoung; Park, Cheolmin

2017-01-01

Interactive displays involve the interfacing of a stimuli-responsive sensor with a visual human-readable response. Here, we describe a polymeric electroluminescence-based stimuli-responsive display method that simultaneously detects external stimuli and visualizes the stimulant object. This organic light-emitting board is capable of both sensing and direct visualization of a variety of conductive information. Simultaneous sensing and visualization of the conductive substance is achieved when the conductive object is coupled with the light emissive material layer on application of alternating current. A variety of conductive materials can be detected regardless of their work functions, and thus information written by a conductive pen is clearly visualized, as is a human fingerprint with natural conductivity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that integration of the organic light-emitting board with a fluidic channel readily allows for dynamic monitoring of metallic liquid flow through the channel, which may be suitable for biological detection and imaging applications. PMID:28406151

Organic light emitting board for dynamic interactive display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Eui Hyuk; Cho, Sung Hwan; Lee, Ju Han; Jeong, Beomjin; Kim, Richard Hahnkee; Yu, Seunggun; Lee, Tae-Woo; Shim, Wooyoung; Park, Cheolmin

2017-04-01

Interactive displays involve the interfacing of a stimuli-responsive sensor with a visual human-readable response. Here, we describe a polymeric electroluminescence-based stimuli-responsive display method that simultaneously detects external stimuli and visualizes the stimulant object. This organic light-emitting board is capable of both sensing and direct visualization of a variety of conductive information. Simultaneous sensing and visualization of the conductive substance is achieved when the conductive object is coupled with the light emissive material layer on application of alternating current. A variety of conductive materials can be detected regardless of their work functions, and thus information written by a conductive pen is clearly visualized, as is a human fingerprint with natural conductivity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that integration of the organic light-emitting board with a fluidic channel readily allows for dynamic monitoring of metallic liquid flow through the channel, which may be suitable for biological detection and imaging applications.

Simultaneous stochastic inversion for geomagnetic main field and secular variation. II - 1820-1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloxham, Jeremy; Jackson, Andrew

1989-01-01

With the aim of producing readable time-dependent maps of the geomagnetic field at the core-mantle boundary, the method of simultaneous stochastic inversion for the geomagnetic main field and secular variation, described by Bloxham (1987), was applied to survey data from the period 1820-1980 to yield two time-dependent geomagnetic-field models, one for the period 1900-1980 and the other for 1820-1900. Particular consideration was given to the effect of crustal fields on observations. It was found that the existing methods of accounting for these fields as sources of random noise are inadequate in two circumstances: (1) when sequences of measurements are made at one particular site, and (2) for measurements made at satellite altitude. The present model shows many of the features in the earth's magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary described by Bloxham and Gubbins (1985) and supports many of their earlier conclusions.

Evaluation of the Readability of Dermatological Postoperative Patient Information Leaflets Across England.

PubMed

Hunt, William T N; McGrath, Emily J

2016-06-01

Postoperative patient information leaflets (PILs) provide important guidance to patients after skin surgery. Readability is a method of evaluating information for text comprehension. The recommended level for PIL readability is US grade ≤6. To evaluate the readability of public English dermatological postoperative PILs. All dermatology departments in England were requested to provide their postoperative PILs. Patient information leaflets were evaluated using Readability Studio (Oleander Software, Vandalia, OH). Two preselected parameters were also noted: whether the PIL was doctor or nurse-written, and whether the PIL was Information Standard hallmarked. Eighty-five of one hundred thirty (65.4%) of PILs were evaluated. Only 29.4% of the PILs were grade level ≤6 with Flesch-Kincaid. The mean readability levels were 7.8 for Flesch-Kincaid, 67 for Flesch reading ease, 10.5 for Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), 9.4 for Gunning-Fog, 8 for Fry, and 9.8 for FORCAST. No instruments demonstrated a significant difference between doctor (6) and nurse-written (7) PILs. Two instruments found that the 3 Information Standard hallmarked PILs had a higher (harder) readability than ordinary PILs (n = 82) (Gunning-Fog, p = .029*; SMOG p = .049*). Most English postoperative dermatological PILs' readability levels exceed recommendations (US grade ≤6). Departmental PILs should be reviewed to ensure that they are comprehensible to their patients.

Availability and Readability of Emergency Preparedness Materials for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Older Adult Populations: Issues and Assessments

PubMed Central

Neuhauser, Linda; Ivey, Susan L.; Huang, Debbie; Engelman, Alina; Tseng, Winston; Dahrouge, Donna; Gurung, Sidhanta; Kealey, Melissa

2013-01-01

A major public health challenge is to communicate effectively with vulnerable populations about preparing for disasters and other health emergencies. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH) and older adults are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies and require communications that are accessible and understandable. Although health literacy studies indicate that the readability of health communication materials often exceeds people’s literacy levels, we could find no research about the readability of emergency preparedness materials (EPM) intended for Deaf/HH and older adult populations. The objective of this study was to explore issues related to EPM for Deaf/HH and older adult populations, to assess the availability and readability of materials for these populations, and to recommend improvements. In two California counties, we interviewed staff at 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Deaf/HH clients and 20 CBOs serving older adults selected from a stratified, random sample of 227 CBOs. We collected 40 EPM from 10 CBOs and 2 public health departments and 40 EPM from 14 local and national websites with EPM for the public. We used computerized assessments to test the U.S. grade reading levels of the 16 eligible CBO and health department EPM, and the 18 eligible website materials. Results showed that less than half of CBOs had EPM for their clients. All EPM intended for clients of Deaf/HH-serving CBOs tested above the recommended 4th grade reading level, and 91% of the materials intended for clients of older adult-serving CBOs scored above the recommended 6th grade level. EPM for these populations should be widely available through CBOs and public health departments, adhere to health literacy principles, and be accessible in alternative formats including American Sign Language. Developers should engage the intended users of EPM as co-designers and testers. This study adds to the limited literature about EPM for these populations. PMID:23451029

Availability and readability of emergency preparedness materials for deaf and hard-of-hearing and older adult populations: issues and assessments.

PubMed

Neuhauser, Linda; Ivey, Susan L; Huang, Debbie; Engelman, Alina; Tseng, Winston; Dahrouge, Donna; Gurung, Sidhanta; Kealey, Melissa

2013-01-01

A major public health challenge is to communicate effectively with vulnerable populations about preparing for disasters and other health emergencies. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH) and older adults are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies and require communications that are accessible and understandable. Although health literacy studies indicate that the readability of health communication materials often exceeds people's literacy levels, we could find no research about the readability of emergency preparedness materials (EPM) intended for Deaf/HH and older adult populations. The objective of this study was to explore issues related to EPM for Deaf/HH and older adult populations, to assess the availability and readability of materials for these populations, and to recommend improvements. In two California counties, we interviewed staff at 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Deaf/HH clients and 20 CBOs serving older adults selected from a stratified, random sample of 227 CBOs. We collected 40 EPM from 10 CBOs and 2 public health departments and 40 EPM from 14 local and national websites with EPM for the public. We used computerized assessments to test the U.S. grade reading levels of the 16 eligible CBO and health department EPM, and the 18 eligible website materials. Results showed that less than half of CBOs had EPM for their clients. All EPM intended for clients of Deaf/HH-serving CBOs tested above the recommended 4(th) grade reading level, and 91% of the materials intended for clients of older adult-serving CBOs scored above the recommended 6(th) grade level. EPM for these populations should be widely available through CBOs and public health departments, adhere to health literacy principles, and be accessible in alternative formats including American Sign Language. Developers should engage the intended users of EPM as co-designers and testers. This study adds to the limited literature about EPM for these populations.

GREAT: a web portal for Genome Regulatory Architecture Tools.

PubMed

Bouyioukos, Costas; Bucchini, François; Elati, Mohamed; Képès, François

2016-07-08

GREAT (Genome REgulatory Architecture Tools) is a novel web portal for tools designed to generate user-friendly and biologically useful analysis of genome architecture and regulation. The online tools of GREAT are freely accessible and compatible with essentially any operating system which runs a modern browser. GREAT is based on the analysis of genome layout -defined as the respective positioning of co-functional genes- and its relation with chromosome architecture and gene expression. GREAT tools allow users to systematically detect regular patterns along co-functional genomic features in an automatic way consisting of three individual steps and respective interactive visualizations. In addition to the complete analysis of regularities, GREAT tools enable the use of periodicity and position information for improving the prediction of transcription factor binding sites using a multi-view machine learning approach. The outcome of this integrative approach features a multivariate analysis of the interplay between the location of a gene and its regulatory sequence. GREAT results are plotted in web interactive graphs and are available for download either as individual plots, self-contained interactive pages or as machine readable tables for downstream analysis. The GREAT portal can be reached at the following URL https://absynth.issb.genopole.fr/GREAT and each individual GREAT tool is available for downloading. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CO large-field observations around l=150° (Xiong , 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, F.; Chen, X.; Yang, J.; Fang, M.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, M.; Du, X.; Long, W.

2017-10-01

Our observation of the G150 region was conducted by the 13.7m millimeter-wavelength telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) located in Delingha, China, from 2013 September to 2014 November. The whole observed region covered an area within 147.75°<=l<=152° and 1.5°<=b<=5.25°, and was observed in 12CO(J=1-0), 13CO(J=1-0), and C18O(J=1-0) simultaneously with the 9-beam Superconducting Spectroscopic Array Receiver. The half power beam width of the telescope is about 52" at 115.2GHz, and 50" at 110.2GHz. (3 data files).

Readability Assessment of Online Patient Education Material on Congestive Heart Failure

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Online health information is being used more ubiquitously by the general population. However, this information typically favors only a small percentage of readers, which can result in suboptimal medical outcomes for patients. Objective The readability of online patient education materials regarding the topic of congestive heart failure was assessed through six readability assessment tools. Methods The search phrase “congestive heart failure” was employed into the search engine Google. Out of the first 100 websites, only 70 were included attending to compliance with selection and exclusion criteria. These were then assessed through six readability assessment tools. Results Only 5 out of 70 websites were within the limits of the recommended sixth-grade readability level. The mean readability scores were as follows: the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.79), Gunning-Fog Score (11.95), Coleman-Liau Index (15.17), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index (11.39), and the Flesch Reading Ease (48.87). Conclusion Most of the analyzed websites were found to be above the sixth-grade readability level recommendations. Efforts need to be made to better tailor online patient education materials to the general population. PMID:28656111

An exploratory study of older adults' comprehension of printed cancer information: is readability a key factor?

PubMed

Friedman, Daniela B; Hoffman-Goetz, Laurie

2007-01-01

Printed cancer information often is written at or beyond high school reading levels, despite lower average literacy abilities of the public. The objectives of this exploratory study were twofold: (1) to evaluate older adults' comprehension of breast (BC), prostate (PC), and colorectal (CC) cancer information; and (2) to determine if comprehension of BC, PC, and CC information varies according to text readability. Comprehension of printed cancer resources was evaluated with 44 community-dwelling older adults using the Cloze procedure and recall questions. Participants' comprehension scores were compared with Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) readability scores (

Comparative Readability Analysis of Online Patient Education Resources on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

PubMed

Gulati, Rishabh; Nawaz, Mohammad; Lam, Linh; Pyrsopoulos, Nikolaos T

2017-01-01

The National Institutes of Health recommend a readability grade level of less than 7th grade for patient directed information. In this study, we use validated readability metrics to analyze patient information from prominent websites pertaining to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The terms "Crohn's Disease," "Ulcerative Colitis," and "Inflammatory Bowel Disease" were queried on Google and Bing. Websites containing patient education material were saved as a text file and then modified through expungement of medical terminology that was described within the text. Modified text was then divided into subsections that were analyzed using six validated readability scales. None of the websites analyzed in this study achieved an estimated reading grade level below the recommended 7th grade. The median readability grade level (after modification) was 11.5 grade levels for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The treatment subsection required the highest level of education with a median readability grade of 12th grade (range of 6.9 to 17). Readability of online patient education material from the analyzed popular websites far exceeds the recommended level of being less than 7th grade. Patient education resources should be revised to achieve wider health literacy.

Readability Approaches: Implications for Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulusoy, Mustafa

2006-01-01

Finding the right fit between students' reading ability and textbooks is very important for comprehension. Readability studies aim to analyse texts to find the right fit between students and texts. In this literature review, readability studies are classified under quantitative, qualitative and combined quantitative-qualitative readability…

Readability assessment of online tracheostomy care resources.

PubMed

Kong, Keonho Albert; Hu, Amanda

2015-02-01

To assess the readability of online tracheostomy care resources. Cross-sectional study. Academic center. A Google search was performed for "tracheostomy care" in January 2014. The top 50 results were categorized into major versus minor websites and patient-oriented versus professional-oriented resources. These websites were evaluated with the following readability tools: Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG). Readability scores for the websites were FRES 57.21 ± 16.71 (possible range = 0-100), FKGL 8.33 ± 2.84 (possible range = 3-12), SMOG 11.25 ± 2.49 (possible range = 3-19), and GFOG 11.43 ± 4.07 (possible range = 3-19). There was no significant difference in all 4 readability scores between major (n = 41) and minor (n = 9) websites. Professional-oriented websites (n = 19) had the following readability scores: FRES 40.77 ± 11.69, FKGL 10.93 ± 2.48, SMOG 13.29 ± 2.32, and GFOG 14.91 ± 3.98. Patient-oriented websites (n = 31) had the following readability scores: FRES 67.29 ± 9.91, FKGL 6.73 ± 1.61, SMOG 10.01 ± 1.64, and GFOG 9.30 ± 2.27. Professional-oriented websites had more difficult readability scores than patient-oriented websites for FRES (P < .00), FKGL (P < .00), SMOG (P < .00), and GFOG (P < .00). Online tracheostomy care resources were written at a level more difficult than the recommended fourth- to sixth-grade level for written health information. There was no significant difference in readability between major and minor websites. Professional-oriented websites were more difficult to read than patient-oriented websites. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2014.

[Global analysis of the readability of the informed consent forms used in public hospitals of Spain].

PubMed

Mariscal-Crespo, M I; Coronado-Vázquez, M V; Ramirez-Durán, M V

To analyse the readability of informed consent forms (ICF) used in Public Hospitals throughout Spain, with the aim of checking their function of providing comprehensive information to people who are making any health decision no matter where they are in Spain. A descriptive study was performed on a total of 11,339 ICF received from all over Spanish territory, of which 1617 ICF were collected from 4 web pages of Health Portal and the rest (9722) were received through email and/or telephone contact from March 2012 to February 2013. The readability level was studied using the Inflesz tool. A total of 372 ICF were selected and analysed using simple random sampling. The Inflesz scale and the Flesch-Szigriszt index were used to analyse the readability. The readability results showed that 62.4% of the ICF were rated as a "little difficult", the 23.4% as "normal", and the 13.4% were rated as "very difficult". The highest readability means using the Flesch index were scored in Andalusia with a mean of 56.99 (95% CI; 55.42-58.57) and Valencia with a mean of 51.93 (95% CI; 48.4-55.52). The lowest readability means were in Galicia with a mean of 40.77 (95% CI; 9.83-71.71) and Melilla, mean=41.82 (95% CI; 35.5-48.14). The readability level of Spanish informed consent forms must be improved because their scores using readability tools could not be classified in normal scales. Furthermore, there was very wide variability among Spanish ICF, which showed a lack of equity in information access among Spanish citizens. Copyright © 2017 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A survey of kidney disease and risk-factor information on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Calderón, José Luis; Zadshir, Ashraf; Norris, Keith

2004-11-11

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is epidemic, and informing those at risk is a national health priority. However, the discrepancy between the readability of health information and the literacy skills of those it targets is a recognized barrier to communicating health information that may promote good health outcomes. Because the World Wide Web has become one of the most important sources of health information, we sought to assess the readability of commonly available CKD information. Twelve highly cited English-language, kidney disease Web sites were identified with 4 popular search engines. Each Web site was reviewed for the availability of 6 domains of information germane to CKD and risk-factor information. We estimated readability scores with the Flesch-Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease Index methods. The deviation of readability scores for CKD information from readability appropriate to average literacy skills and the limited literacy skills of vulnerable populations (low socioeconomic status, health disparities, and elderly) were calculated. Eleven Web sites met the inclusion criteria. Six of 11 sites provided information on all 6 domains of CKD and risk-factor information. Mean readability scores for all 6 domains of CKD information exceeded national average literacy skills and far exceeded the fifth-grade-level readability desired for informing vulnerable populations. Information about CKD and diabetes consistently had higher readability scores. Information on the World Wide Web about CKD and its risk factors may not be readable for comprehension by the general public, especially by underserved minority populations with limited literacy skills. Barriers to health communication may be important contributors to the rising CKD epidemic and disparities in CKD health status experienced by minority populations.

Readability evaluation of Internet-based patient education materials related to the anesthesiology field.

PubMed

De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Jung, Michael; Mccaffery, Kirsten J; McCarthy, Robert J; Wolf, Michael S

2015-08-01

The main objective of the current investigation was to assess the readability of Internet-based patient education materials related to the field of anesthesiology. We hypothesized that the majority of patient education materials would not be written according to current recommended readability grade level. Online patient education materials describing procedures, risks, and management of anesthesia-related topics were identified using the search engine Google (available at www.google.com) using the terms anesthesia, anesthesiology, anesthesia risks, and anesthesia care. Cross-sectional evaluation. None. Assessments of content readability were performed using validated instruments (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Formulae, the Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, the New Dale-Chall Test, the Fry graph, and the Flesch Reading Ease score). Ninety-six Web sites containing Internet patient education materials (IPEMs) were evaluated. The median (interquartile range) readability grade level for all evaluated IPEMs was 13.5 (12.0-14.6). All the evaluated documents were classified at a greater readability level than the current recommended readability grade, P < .001. Readability grades were not significantly different among different IPEM sources. Assessment by the Flesch Reading Ease test classified all but 4 IPEMs as at least fairly difficult to read. Internet-based patient education materials related to the field of anesthesiology are currently written far above the recommended readability grade level. High complexity of written education materials likely limits access of information to millions of American patients. Redesign of online content of Web sites that provide patient education material regarding anesthesia could be an important step in improving access to information for patients with poor health literacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability levels of health pamphlets distributed in hospitals and health centres in Athens, Greece.

PubMed

Kondilis, B K; Akrivos, P D; Sardi, T A; Soteriades, E S; Falagas, M E

2010-10-01

Health literacy is important in the medical and social sciences due to its impact on behavioural and health outcomes. Nevertheless, little is known about it in Greece, including patients' level of understanding health brochures and pamphlets distributed in Greek hospitals and clinics. Observational study in the greater metropolitan area of Athens, Greece. Pamphlets and brochures written in the Greek language were collected from 17 hospitals and healthcare centres between the spring and autumn of 2006. Readability of pamphlets using the Flesch-Kincaid, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Fog methods was calculated based on a Greek readability software. Out of 70 pamphlets collected from 17 hospitals, 37 pamphlets met the criteria for the study. The average readability level of all scanned pamphlets was ninth to 10th grade, corresponding to a readability level of 'average'. A highly significant difference (P<0.001) was found between private and public hospitals using the Flesch-Kincaid and SMOG readability scales. Pamphlets from private hospitals were one grade more difficult than those from public hospitals. Approximately 43.7% of the Greek population aged ≥20 years would not be able to comprehend the available pamphlets, which were found to have an average readability level of ninth to 10th grade. Further research examining readability levels in the context of health literacy in Greece is warranted. This effort paves the way for additional research in the field of readability levels of health pamphlets in the Greek language, the sources of health information, and the level of understanding of key health messages by the population. Copyright © 2010 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Readability and writing style analysis of selected allied health professional journals.

PubMed

Hedl, J J; Glazer-Waldman, H R; Parker, H J; Hopkins, K M

1991-01-01

Using US Department of Defense text sampling procedures, nine allied health journals were analyzed for readability and selected writing style indices via Right Writer, a commercial software program. Two indices of readability were computed for each journal as were several indices of writing style. The computed readability ranged from 13.0 to 15.4, depending upon the journal in question. Two journals showed the highest levels of readability (15.4) compared to the other seven journals. The writing style analyses indicated generally normal ranges for the descriptive and jargon indices, but seven journals showed below recommended strength indices. Sentence structure analyses indicated a need to reduce sentence structure complexity. Implications for journal editors and authors are discussed.

Readability in 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bormuth, John R., Ed.

This bulletin presents four papers on how to control, manipulate, and predict the readability of printed materials. The first paper describes trends in readability brought about by research tools developed by psychologists and linguists. The second paper explores the effects of word frequency in printed materials on comprehension and concludes…

Textbooks in Management, Marketing and Finance: An Analysis of Readability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Daniel J.; Thompson, G. Rodney

1982-01-01

Examines the readability of texts in basic junior level college courses in the fields of management, marketing, and finance. The readability model is described, along with its application and results. Specific texts and how they fared are listed in accompanying tables. (CT)

Readability and Recall of Short Prose Passages: A Theoretical Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, James R.; Kintsch, Walter

1980-01-01

To support the view of readability as an interaction between a text and the reader's prose-processing capabilities, this article applies an extended and formalized version of the Kintch and van Dijk prose-processing model to 20 texts of varying readability. (Author/GSK)

CO2 variability from in situ and vertical column measurements in Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baylon, J. L.; Grutter, M.; Stremme, W.; Bezanilla, A.; Plaza, E.

2014-12-01

UNAM started a program to measure, among many other atmospheric parameters, greenhouse gas concentrations at six stations in the Mexican territory as part of the "Red Universitaria de Observatorios Atmosfericos", RUOA (www.ruoa.unam.mx). In this work we present recent time series of CO2 measured at the station located in the university campus in Mexico City, and compare them to total vertical columns of this gas measured at the same location. In situ measurements are continuously carried out with a cavity ring-down spectrometer (Picarro Inc., G2401) since July 2014 and the columns are retrieved from solar absorption measurements taken with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (Bruker, Vertex 80) when conditions allow. The retrieval method is described and results of the comparison of both techniques and a detailed analysis of the variability of this important greenhouse gas is presented. Simultaneous surface and column CO2 data are useful to constrain models and estimate emissions.

Readability assessment of the American Rhinologic Society patient education materials.

PubMed

Kasabwala, Khushabu; Misra, Poonam; Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-04-01

The extensive amount of medical literature available on the Internet is frequently accessed by patients. To effectively contribute to healthcare decision-making, these online resources should be worded at a level that is readable by any patient seeking information. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend the readability of patient information material should be between a 4th to 6th grade level. In this study, we evaluate the readability of online patient education information available from the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) website using 9 different assessment tools that analyze the materials for reading ease and grade level of the target audience. Online patient education material from the ARS was downloaded in February 2012 and assessed for level of readability using the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Grading, Coleman-Liau Index, Gunning-Fog Index, FORCAST formula, Raygor Readability Estimate, the Fry Graph, and the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula. Each article was pasted as plain text into a Microsoft® Word® document and each subsection was analyzed using the software package Readability Studio Professional Edition Version 2012.1. All healthcare education materials assessed were written between a 9th grade and graduate reading level and were considered "difficult" to read by the assessment scales. Online patient education materials on the ARS website are written above the recommended 6th grade level and may require revision to make them easily understood by a broader audience. © 2013 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Quality and Readability of English-Language Internet Information for Voice Disorders.

PubMed

Dueppen, Abigail J; Bellon-Harn, Monica L; Radhakrishnan, Nandhakumar; Manchaiah, Vinaya

2017-12-15

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability and quality of English-language Internet information related to vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders. This study extends recent work because it evaluates readability, content quality, and website origin across broader search criteria than previous studies evaluating online voice material. Eighty-five websites were aggregated using five different country-specific search engines. Websites were then analyzed using quality and readability assessments. The entire web page was evaluated; however, no information or links beyond the first page was reviewed. Statistical calculations were employed to examine website ratings, differences between website origin and quality and readability scores, and correlations between readability instruments. Websites exhibited acceptable quality as measured by the DISCERN. However, only one website obtained the Health On the Net certification. Significant differences in quality were found among website origin, with government websites receiving higher quality ratings. Approximate educational levels required to comprehend information on the websites ranged from 8 to 9 years of education. Significant differences were found between website origin and readability measures with higher levels of education required to understand information on websites of nonprofit organizations. Current vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders websites were found to exhibit acceptable levels of quality and readability. However, highly rated Internet information related to voice care should be made more accessible to voice clients through Health On the Net certification. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Are Online Zenker's Diverticulum Materials Readable and Understandable?

PubMed

Balakrishnan, Vini; Chandy, Zachariah; Verma, Sunil P

2016-11-01

Patients use a multitude of resources to learn about Zenker's diverticulum (ZD). The objectives of this study were to assess the readability and understandability of online materials on ZD, evaluate them against the existing criteria, and investigate the relationship between readability and understandability. The first 50 webpages from an online search for ZD were analyzed. Twenty-one webpages had materials intended for patients and were included in the study. The patient education materials (PEMs) were analyzed using 6 readability tools. Four individuals used the Patient Education Materials Evaluation Tool (PEMAT) to assess the understandability. Fleiss κ interrater reliability analysis determined consistency among the raters. Finally, Pearson correlation coefficient analyzed the relationship between readability and understandability. The reading grade level of the materials reviewed ranged from 10th to 16th grade while the understandability ranged from 31% to 74%. Correlation analysis demonstrated a strong negative correlation between readability and understandability (r = -0.62, P < .05). Fleiss' κ interrater reliability for the raters demonstrated substantial agreement between the 4 raters (κ = 0.64). Online PEMs pertaining to ZD are written well above the recommended reading level. Materials written at a lower reading level are more understandable. A wide range of understandability exists among materials with identical reading grade levels. Health care providers need to create new PEMs for ZD that are available online that are both readable and understandable. The PEMAT and readability formulas can provide a framework for authors to create these materials. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Unsuitable readability levels of patient information pertaining to dementia and related diseases: a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Weih, Markus; Reinhold, Angelika; Richter-Schmidinger, Tanja; Sulimma, Anne-Kathrin; Klein, Harald; Kornhuber, Johannes

2008-12-01

Our study investigated the readability of printed material about dementia that is offered to patients and caregivers. Comparisons of various brochures (at least three standard pages in length) on dementia and related disorders were made using automated measuring by the SMOG readability index grade. 118 brochures were assessed (25 in English, 93 in German), for which the mean readability was found to be high school/college level as measured by the SMOG readability index (grade 13.6 +/- 1.8). No differences in readability were observed between materials produced by pharmaceutical companies and other sources. Furthermore, recently published brochures were not more readable than older ones. Shorter brochures, English brochures and those containing medical facts were easier to read than longer ones, those written in German or brochures primarily addressing psychosocial care/social issues. The sentence length was above the 20 word recommendation in 25% of the brochures. The average font size of the brochure texts was small (mean font size 11.1 +/- 1.6 point) with only 25% of brochures having a font size of 12 or more, as recommended. Written patient information and educational material of more than three standard pages is often published at unsuitably high readability levels using small fonts. Information material about dementia should be designed and tested prior to distribution among patients and caregivers. Future studies should address material shorter than three pages and material for younger caregivers.

Spontaneous confocal Raman microscopy--a tool to study the uptake of nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes into cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, Gabriela; Rojas, Elena; Estrela-Lopis, Irina; Donath, Edwin; Moya, Sergio Enrique

2011-06-01

Confocal Raman microscopy as a label-free technique was applied to study the uptake and internalization of poly(lactide- co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into hepatocarcinoma human HepG2 cells. Spontaneous confocal Raman spectra was recorded from the cells exposed to oxidized CNTs and to PLGA NPs. The Raman spectra showed bands arising from the cellular environment: lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, as well as bands characteristic for either PLGA NPs or CNTs. The simultaneous generation of Raman bands from the cell and nanomaterials from the same spot proves internalization, and also indicates the cellular region, where the nanomaterial is located. For PLGA NPs, it was found that they preferentially co-localized with lipid bodies, while the oxidized CNTs are located in the cytoplasm.

Volumetric strain in relation to particle displacements for body and surface waves in a general viscoelastic half-space

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borcherdt, R.D.

1988-01-01

Dilatational earth strain, associated with the radiation fields for several hundred local, regional, and teleseismic earthquakes, has been recorded over an extended bandwidth and dynamic range at four borehole sites near the San Andreas fault, CA. The general theory of linear viscoelasticity is applied to account for anelasticity of the near-surface materials and to provide a mathematical basis for interpretation of seismic radiation fields as detected simultaneously by co-located volumetric strain meters and seismometers. The general theory is applied to describe volumetric strain and displacement for general (homogeneous or inhomogeneous) P and S waves in an anelastic whole space. Solutions to the free-surface reflection problems for incident general P and S-I waves are used to evaluate the effect of the free surface on observations from co-located sensors. Corresponding expressions are derived for a Rayleigh-type surface wave on a linear viscoelastic half-space. The theory predicts a number of anelastic wave field characteristics that can be inferred from observation of volumetric strains and displacement fields as detected by co-located sensors that cannot be inferred from either sensor alone. -from Author

Joint Optimization of Distribution Network Design and Two-Echelon Inventory Control with Stochastic Demand and CO2 Emission Tax Charges.

PubMed

Li, Shuangyan; Li, Xialian; Zhang, Dezhi; Zhou, Lingyun

2017-01-01

This study develops an optimization model to integrate facility location and inventory control for a three-level distribution network consisting of a supplier, multiple distribution centers (DCs), and multiple retailers. The integrated model addressed in this study simultaneously determines three types of decisions: (1) facility location (optimal number, location, and size of DCs); (2) allocation (assignment of suppliers to located DCs and retailers to located DCs, and corresponding optimal transport mode choices); and (3) inventory control decisions on order quantities, reorder points, and amount of safety stock at each retailer and opened DC. A mixed-integer programming model is presented, which considers the carbon emission taxes, multiple transport modes, stochastic demand, and replenishment lead time. The goal is to minimize the total cost, which covers the fixed costs of logistics facilities, inventory, transportation, and CO2 emission tax charges. The aforementioned optimal model was solved using commercial software LINGO 11. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the applications of the proposed model. The findings show that carbon emission taxes can significantly affect the supply chain structure, inventory level, and carbon emission reduction levels. The delay rate directly affects the replenishment decision of a retailer.

Readability as a Factor in Magazine Ad Copy Recall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wesson, David A.

1989-01-01

Examines the relationship between advertising copy readability and advertising effectiveness. Finds that recall is improved when the copy style is either fairly easy or fairly hard to read. Suggests the value of considering copy readability as a potential contributor, though a minor one, to the success of magazine advertising. (RS)

Readability Levels of the 1975 Third Grade Macmillan Basal Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Ernestine Williams

1983-01-01

Analysis of third-grade books in the New Macmillan Reading Program reveals that the books exceeded the publisher's designation of readability and did not progress in difficulty from easy to more difficult. Findings suggest the need for more complete and reliable information from publishers concerning textbook readability. (FL)

Varying Readability of Science-Based Text in Elementary Readers: Challenges for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Tiffany L.; Fazio, Xavier; Gunning, Thomas G.

2012-01-01

This investigation compared readability formulae to publishers' identified reading levels in science-based elementary readers. Nine well-established readability indices were calculated and comparisons were made with the publishers' identified grade designations and between different genres of text. Results revealed considerable variance among the…

The Effect of Technology-Based Altered Readability Levels on Struggling Readers' Science Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marino, Matthew T.; Coyne, Michael; Dunn, Michael

2010-01-01

This article reports findings from a study examining how altered readability levels affected struggling readers' (N = 288) comprehension of scientific concepts and vocabulary. Specifically, the researchers were interested in learning what effect altered readability levels have when low ability readers participate in a technology-based science…

Readability of Questionnaires Assessing Listening Difficulties Associated with (Central) Auditory Processing Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atcherson, Samuel R.; Richburg, Cynthia M.; Zraick, Richard I.; George, Cassandra M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Eight English-language, student- or parent proxy-administered questionnaires for (central) auditory processing disorders, or (C)APD, were analyzed for readability. For student questionnaires, readability levels were checked against the approximate reading grade levels by intended administration age per the questionnaires' developers. For…

Measuring the Readability of Elementary Algebra Using the Cloze Technique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulm, Gerald

The relationship to readability of ten variables characterizing structural properties of mathematical prose was investigated in elementary algebra textbooks. Readability was measured by algebra student's responses to two forms of cloze tests. Linear and currilinear correlations were calculated between each structural variable and the cloze test.…

An analysis of the readability of patient information and consent forms used in research studies in anaesthesia in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Taylor, H E; Bramley, D E P

2012-11-01

The provision of written information is a component of the informed consent process for research participants. We conducted a readability analysis to test the hypothesis that the language used in patient information and consent forms in anaesthesia research in Australia and New Zealand does not meet the readability standards or expectations of the Good Clinical Practice Guidelines, the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. We calculated readability scores for 40 patient information and consent forms using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid formulas. The mean grade level of patient information and consent forms when using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook and Flesch-Kincaid readability formulas was 12.9 (standard deviation of 0.8, 95% confidence interval 12.6 to 13.1) and 11.9 (standard deviation 1.1, 95% confidence interval 11.6 to 12.3), respectively. This exceeds the average literacy and comprehension of the general population in Australia and New Zealand. Complex language decreases readability and negatively impacts on the informed consent process. Care should be exercised when providing written information to research participants to ensure language and readability is appropriate for the audience.

Readability of patient information and consent documents in rheumatological studies.

PubMed

Hamnes, Bente; van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne; Primdahl, Jette

2016-07-16

Before participation in medical research an informed consent must be obtained. This study investigates whether the readability of patient information and consent documents (PICDs) corresponds to the average educational level of participants in rheumatological studies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. 24 PICDs from studies were collected and readability was assessed independently using the Gunning's Fog Index (FOG) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. The mean score for the FOG and SMOG grades were 14.2 (9.0-19.0) and 14.2 (12-17) respectively. The mean FOG and SMOG grades were 12.7 and 13.3 in the Dutch studies, 15.0 and 14.9 in the Danish studies, and 14.6 and 14.3 in the Norwegian studies, respectively. Out of the 2865 participants, more than 57 % had a lower educational level than the highest readability score calculated in the individual study. As the readability level of the PICDs did not match the participants' educational level, consent may not have been valid, as the participants may have had a limited understanding of what they agreed to participate in. There should be more focus on the readability of PICDs. National guidelines for how to write clear and unambiguous PICDs in simple and easily understandable language could increase the focus on the readability of PICD.

Constructing and validating readability models: the method of integrating multilevel linguistic features with machine learning.

PubMed

Sung, Yao-Ting; Chen, Ju-Ling; Cha, Ji-Her; Tseng, Hou-Chiang; Chang, Tao-Hsing; Chang, Kuo-En

2015-06-01

Multilevel linguistic features have been proposed for discourse analysis, but there have been few applications of multilevel linguistic features to readability models and also few validations of such models. Most traditional readability formulae are based on generalized linear models (GLMs; e.g., discriminant analysis and multiple regression), but these models have to comply with certain statistical assumptions about data properties and include all of the data in formulae construction without pruning the outliers in advance. The use of such readability formulae tends to produce a low text classification accuracy, while using a support vector machine (SVM) in machine learning can enhance the classification outcome. The present study constructed readability models by integrating multilevel linguistic features with SVM, which is more appropriate for text classification. Taking the Chinese language as an example, this study developed 31 linguistic features as the predicting variables at the word, semantic, syntax, and cohesion levels, with grade levels of texts as the criterion variable. The study compared four types of readability models by integrating unilevel and multilevel linguistic features with GLMs and an SVM. The results indicate that adopting a multilevel approach in readability analysis provides a better representation of the complexities of both texts and the reading comprehension process.

Readability of websites containing information on dental implants.

PubMed

Jayaratne, Yasas S N; Anderson, Nina K; Zwahlen, Roger A

2014-12-01

It is recommended that health-related materials for patients be written at sixth grade level or below. Many websites oriented toward patient education about dental implants are available, but the readability of these sites has not been evaluated. To assess readability of patient-oriented online information on dental implants. Websites containing patient-oriented information on dental implants were retrieved using the Google search engine. Individual and mean readability/grade levels were calculated using standardized formulas. Readability of each website was classified as easy (≤ 6th-grade level) or difficult (≥ 10th grade level). Thirty nine websites with patient-oriented information on dental implant were found. The average readability grade level of these websites was 11.65 ± 1.36. No website scored at/below the recommended 6th grade level. Thirty four of 39 websites (87.18%) were difficult to read. The number of characters, words, and sentences on these sites varied widely. All patient-oriented websites on dental implants scored above the recommended grade level, and majority of these sites were "difficult" in their readability. There is a dire need to create patient information websites on implants, which the majority can read. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of the accuracy and readability of herbal supplement information on Wikipedia.

PubMed

Phillips, Jennifer; Lam, Connie; Palmisano, Lisa

2014-01-01

To determine the completeness and readability of information found in Wikipedia for leading dietary supplements and assess the accuracy of this information with regard to safety (including use during pregnancy/lactation), contraindications, drug interactions, therapeutic uses, and dosing. Cross-sectional analysis of Wikipedia articles. The contents of Wikipedia articles for the 19 top-selling herbal supplements were retrieved on July 24, 2012, and evaluated for organization, content, accuracy (as compared with information in two leading dietary supplement references) and readability. Accuracy of Wikipedia articles. No consistency was noted in how much information was included in each Wikipedia article, how the information was organized, what major categories were used, and where safety and therapeutic information was located in the article. All articles in Wikipedia contained information on therapeutic uses and adverse effects but several lacked information on drug interactions, pregnancy, and contraindications. Wikipedia articles had 26%-75% of therapeutic uses and 76%-100% of adverse effects listed in the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and/or Natural Standard. Overall, articles were written at a 13.5-grade level, and all were at a ninth-grade level or above. Articles in Wikipedia in mid-2012 for the 19 top-selling herbal supplements were frequently incomplete, of variable quality, and sometimes inconsistent with reputable sources of information on these products. Safety information was particularly inconsistent among the articles. Patients and health professionals should not rely solely on Wikipedia for information on these herbal supplements when treatment decisions are being made.

Archaeological Investigations in the Gainesville Lake Area of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Volume V. Archaeology of the Gainesville Lake Area: Synthesis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

frequently awkward verbage thus rendering the report more readable. Richard Walling produced the figures and made many constructive coImnts on the...the Cobbs Swamp complex (Chase 1978), had developed into the Render - son complex (Dickens 1971). By approximately A.D. 400, check and simple j...Methods in Archaeology, edited by Robert F. Heizer and Sherburne F. Cook, pp. 60-92. Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology 28. Chicago. Stephenson

A Comparison of Readability in Science-Based Texts: Implications for Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Tiffany; Fazio, Xavier; Ciampa, Katia

2017-01-01

Science curriculum standards were mapped onto various texts (literacy readers, trade books, online articles). Statistical analyses highlighted the inconsistencies among readability formulae for Grades 2-6 levels of the standards. There was a lack of correlation among the readability measures, and also when comparing different text sources. Online…

Survey of Commercially Available Computer-Readable Bibliographic Data Bases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, John H., Ed.; And Others

This document contains the results of a survey of 94 U. S. organizations, and 36 organizations in other countries that were thought to prepare machine-readable data bases. Of those surveyed, 55 organizations (40 in U. S., 15 in other countries) provided completed camera-ready forms describing 81 commercially available, machine-readable data bases…

Readability and Its Effects on Reading Rate, Subjective Judgments of Comprehensibility and Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coke, Esther U.

Prose passages read aloud or silently were rated for pronounceability and comprehensibility. The relationships of text-derived readability indices to reading rate, comprehensibility ratings and comprehension test scores were explored. Reading rate in syllables per minute was unrelated to readability. The high correlation between rate in words per…

77 FR 7 - Revisions to Labeling Requirements for Blood and Blood Components, Including Source Plasma

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-03

... requirements will facilitate the use of a labeling system using machine-readable information that would be... components. Furthermore, we proposed the use of a labeling system using machine-readable information that...; Facilitates the use of a labeling system using machine- readable information that would be acceptable as a...

A Framework for Readability Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Albert J.; Jacobson, Milton D.

There is a need for basic readability research and for an easily applied and accurate new readability formula. Two steps taken toward the development of such a formula are the revision of a vocabulary list for primary grades and the combination of reading exercises given at different grade levels into a single scale of ascending difficulty. Much…

How Readability and Topic Incidence Relate to Performance on Mathematics Story Problems in Computer-Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Candace; Clinton, Virginia; Ritter, Steven N.; Nathan, Mitchell J.

2015-01-01

Solving mathematics story problems requires text comprehension skills. However, previous studies have found few connections between traditional measures of text readability and performance on story problems. We hypothesized that recently developed measures of readability and topic incidence measured by text-mining tools may illuminate associations…

Computational Text Analysis: A More Comprehensive Approach to Determine Readability of Reading Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aziz, Anealka; Fook, Chan Yuen; Alsree, Zubaida

2010-01-01

Reading materials are considered having high readability if readers are interested to read the materials, understand the content of the materials and able to read the materials fluently. In contrast, reading materials with low readability discourage readers from reading the materials, create difficulties for readers to understand the content of…

Analysis of Readability and Interest of Marketing Education Textbooks: Implications for Special Needs Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Karen H.; And Others

1993-01-01

The readability, reading ease, interest level, and writing style of 20 current textbooks in secondary marketing education were evaluated. Readability formulas consistently identified lower reading levels for special needs education, human interest scores were not very reliable information sources, and writing style was also a weak variable. (JOW)

6 CFR 37.19 - Machine readable technology on the driver's license or identification card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., States must use the ISO/IEC 15438:2006(E) Information Technology—Automatic identification and data... 6 Domestic Security 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Machine readable technology on the driver's..., Verification, and Card Issuance Requirements § 37.19 Machine readable technology on the driver's license or...

6 CFR 37.19 - Machine readable technology on the driver's license or identification card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., States must use the ISO/IEC 15438:2006(E) Information Technology—Automatic identification and data... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Machine readable technology on the driver's..., Verification, and Card Issuance Requirements § 37.19 Machine readable technology on the driver's license or...

Text Readability and Intuitive Simplification: A Comparison of Readability Formulas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossley, Scott A.; Allen, David B.; McNamara, Danielle S.

2011-01-01

Texts are routinely simplified for language learners with authors relying on a variety of approaches and materials to assist them in making the texts more comprehensible. Readability measures are one such tool that authors can use when evaluating text comprehensibility. This study compares the Coh-Metrix Second Language (L2) Reading Index, a…

Can Readability Formulas Be Used to Successfully Gauge Difficulty of Reading Materials?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Begeny, John C.; Greene, Diana J.

2014-01-01

A grade level of reading material is commonly estimated using one or more readability formulas, which purport to measure text difficulty based on specified text characteristics. However, there is limited direction for teachers and publishers regarding which readability formulas (if any) are appropriate indicators of actual text difficulty. Because…

The Readability of Information Literacy Content on Academic Library Web Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Adriene

2010-01-01

This article reports on a study addressing the readability of content on academic libraries' Web sites, specifically content intended to improve users' information literacy skills. Results call for recognition of readability as an evaluative component of text in order to better meet the needs of diverse user populations. (Contains 8 tables.)

A Comparison of Two Methods of Assessing Textbook Readability of Selected College Level Electronics Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froelich, Donald Max

Fifty-eight students enrolled in basic electronics courses from three state colleges in Missouri, were involved in comparing the cloze readability technique with the Flesch Reading Ease Formula to ascertain the effectiveness of each in assessing the readability of selected college level electronics textbooks. Pearson product-moment correlations…

Readability of Brochures Produced by State of Florida.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christ, William G.; Pharr, Paula

1980-01-01

A study of the readability of governmental pamphlets produced by the State of Florida, based on the use of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula and the Dale-Chall Formula, suggests that if a seventh or eighth grade readability level is considered an appropriate standard for public information brochures, the brochures tested may be too complex…

Quality and readability assessment of websites related to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

PubMed Central

de Groot, Olivier S.D.; Dikkers, Frederik G.

2017-01-01

Objective Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare disease for which a limited number of information sources for patients exist. The role of the Internet in the patient–physician relationship is increasing. More and more patients search for online health information, which should be of good quality and easy readable. The study aim was to investigate the quality and readability of English online health information about RRP. Study Design Quality and readability assessment of online information. Methods Relevant information was collected using three different search engines and seven different search terms. Quality was assessed with the DISCERN instrument. The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and average grade level (AGL) were determined to measure readability of the English websites. Results Fifty‐one English websites were included. The mean DISCERN score of the websites is 28.1 ± 9.7 (poor quality); the mean FRES is 41.3 ± 14.9 (difficult to read); and the mean AGL is 12.6 ± 2.3. Conclusion The quality and readability of English websites about RRP is alarmingly poor. Level of Evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 127:2293–2297, 2017 PMID:28233911

MDA and AAEM informational brochures: can patients read them?

PubMed

Galloway, Gloria; Murphy, Peggy; Chesson, Andrew L; Martinez, Karen

2003-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess patient literacy and the readability of patient education brochures from the American Academy of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Muscular Dystrophy Association. Materials with the appropriate readability and suitability are more likely to provide instruction patients will understand. The readability of the brochure was assessed with Grammatik (Fry, 1977), the literacy of the participants with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy (REALM) in Medicine test, and the suitability of the brochure was tested with the Suitability Assessment of Materials measure (Doak, Doak, & Root, 1993). The average REALM score for participation in this study correlated with a reading level of 7th-8th grade. All six brochures were found to be too difficult for many patients. Readability levels in four of the brochures were at 11th- or 12th-grade levels, one at 9th grade, and one at 10th grade. Materials with readability levels for 9th grade or higher should be rewritten to be understandable by most Americans, or supplemental instruction should be given. Readability and suitability assessments should be made to determine whether educational materials are appropriate for patients.

Creating a Gold Standard for the Readability Measurement of Health Texts

PubMed Central

Kandula, Sasikiran; Zeng-Treitler, Qing

2008-01-01

Developing easy-to-read health texts for consumers continues to be a challenge in health communication. Though readability formulae such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level have been used in many studies, they were found to be inadequate to estimate the difficulty of some types of health texts. One impediment to the development of new readability assessment techniques is the absence of a gold standard that can be used to validate them. To overcome this deficiency, we have compiled a corpus of 324 health documents consisting of six different types of texts. These documents were manually reviewed and assigned a readability level (1-7 Likert scale) by a panel of five health literacy experts. The expert assigned ratings were found to be highly correlated with a patient representative’s readability ratings (r = 0.81, p<0.0001). PMID:18999150

Structure and content of chronic kidney disease information on the World Wide Web: barriers to public understanding of a pandemic.

PubMed

Calderón, José Luis; Zadshir, Ashraf; Norris, Keith

2004-10-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a pandemic and the need to inform those at risk has never been more important. The World Wide Web (WWW) is no w considered a key source of health information, but the quality and utility of this information has been challenged. In this article, we assess structural, content, and linguistic barriers to accessed CKD information and discuss the implications of limited Internet access to communicating health. Technical (number of hyperlinks), content (number of six core CKD and risk factor information domains included), and linguistic (readability and variation in readability) barriers were assessed for websites offered by 12 kidney disease associations. The Flesch Reading Ease Index method was used to estimate readability scores, and variation in the readability of information was assessed. Eleven websites met inclusion criteria. Six of 11 websites provided information in all 6 domains of CKD information. A mean of 4 hyperlinks (range 3-5) was clicked before CKD information was available and a mean of 6 hyperlinks (range 4-12) was clicked to access all available CKD information. Mean readability scores for all six domains of CKD information exceeded national average literacy skills and far exceeded the 5th grade level readability desired for informing vulnerable populations. Information about CKD and diabetes consistently had higher readability scores. The WWW currently has little utility for informing populations at greatest risk for CKD. Barriers to accessing CKD information on the WWW are socioeconomic, technical, and linguistic. Having lower socioeconomic status, less access to computers and the WWW, multiple website hyperlinks, incomplete information, difficult readability, and significant variation in readability of CKD information on the WWW are social, structural, and content barriers to communicating CKD information. This may contribute to the growing epidemics of diminished public understanding about CKD, and disparities in CKD health status experienced by racial/ethnic minority populations globally.

Evaluating the Readibility of Informed Consent Forms Available Before Anaesthesia: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Boztaş, Nilay; Özbilgin, Şule; Öçmen, Elvan; Altuntaş, Gözde; Özkardeşler, Sevda; Hancı, Volkan; Günerli, Ali

2014-01-01

Objective Informed consent forms that are used prior to administering anaesthesia inform patients before any proposed surgical procedure or treatment. They should provide patients with sufficient information about the operation and treatment. Readibility refers to whether it is easy or hard for a reader to read and understand an available text, and this is evaluated via various formulas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability of different informed consent forms commonly used in the anaesthesiology departments of different hospitals in our country using different readability formulas. Methods After obtaining ethics committee approval, the readability of different consent forms used in the anaesthesiology departments of university hospitals (n=15), Ministry of Health (MOH) education and research hospitals (n=15), and public hospitals (n=15) was analysed. Each consent form was displayed electronically in “Microsoft Word” and the number of words contained was counted automatically. The first 100 words on the first page of the forms were evaluated using the Gunning Fog, Flesch-Kincaid and Ateşman readability formulations. The rate of medical terms detected within these 100 words was determined as a percentage (%). Results Different consent forms obtained from 45 anaesthesia departments were assessed using various readability formulas. According to the Gunning Fog index, the readability of the consent forms obtained from MOH education and research and public hospitals was relatively low. The Flesch-Kincaid index measured very low levels of readability in all institutions. The Ateşman index displayed very low readability levels for the consent forms used in university hospitals, and low levels in other institutions. Conclusion We conclude that the readability of the anaesthesia informed consent forms is low. The level of education in our country should be considered in the preparation of anaesthesia consent forms. We believe that physicians should pay more attention to this medical and legal issue. PMID:27366408

Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Materials From Leading Orthopedic Academic Centers.

PubMed

Ryu, Justine H; Yi, Paul H

2016-05-01

Cross-sectional analysis of online spine-related patient education materials from leading academic centers. To assess the readability levels of spine surgery-related patient education materials available on the websites of academic orthopedic surgery departments. The Internet is becoming an increasingly popular resource for patient education. Yet many previous studies have found that Internet-based orthopedic-related patient education materials from subspecialty societies are written at a level too difficult for the average American; however, no prior study has assessed the readability of spine surgery-related patient educational materials from leading academic centers. All spine surgery-related articles from the online patient education libraries of the top five US News & World Report-ranked orthopedic institutions were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of articles amongst the five academic institutions and articles were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the recommended sixth- or eight-grade levels. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of readability assessment were assessed. A total of 122 articles were reviewed. The mean overall FK grade level was 11.4; the difference in mean FK grade level between each department varied significantly (range, 9.3-13.4; P < 0.0001). Twenty-three articles (18.9%) had a readability level at or below the eighth grade level, and only one (0.8%) was at or below the sixth grade level. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were both excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 1 for both). Online patient education materials related to spine from academic orthopedic centers are written at a level too high for the average patient, consistent with spine surgery-related patient education materials provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and spine subspecialty societies. This study highlights the potential difficulties patients might have in reading and comprehending the information in publicly available education materials related to spine. N/A.

Readability Comparison of Pro- and Anti-Cancer Screening Online Messages in Japan

PubMed Central

Okuhara, Tsuyoshi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Okada, Masahumi; Kato, Mio; Kiuchi, Takahiro

2016-01-01

Background: Cancer screening rates are lower in Japan than those in western countries. Health professionals publish pro-cancer screening messages on the internet to encourage audiences to undergo cancer screening. However, the information provided is often difficult to read for lay persons. Further, anti-cancer screening activists warn against cancer screening with messages on the Internet. We aimed to assess and compare the readability of pro- and anti-cancer screening online messages in Japan using a measure of readability. Methods: We conducted web searches at the beginning of September 2016 using two major Japanese search engines (Google.jp and Yahoo!.jp). The included websites were classified as “anti”, “pro”, or “neutral” depending on the claims, and “health professional” or “non-health professional” depending on the writers. Readability was determined using a validated measure of Japanese readability. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way ANOVA. Results: In the total 159 websites analyzed, anti-cancer screening online messages were generally easier to read than pro-cancer screening online messages, Messages written by health professionals were more difficult to read than those written by non-health professionals. Claim × writer interaction was not significant. Conclusion: When health professionals prepare pro-cancer screening materials for publication online, we recommend they check for readability using readability assessment tools and improve text for easy comprehension when necessary. PMID:28125867

Readability assessment of patient education materials from the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

PubMed

Kasabwala, Khushabu; Agarwal, Nitin; Hansberry, David R; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2012-09-01

Americans are increasingly turning to the Internet as a source of health care information. These online resources should be written at a level readily understood by the average American. This study evaluates the readability of online patient education information available from the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) professional Web site using 7 different assessment tools that analyze the materials for reading ease and grade level of its target audience. Analysis of Internet-based patient education material from the AAO-HNSF Web site. Online patient education material from the AAO-HNSF was downloaded in January 2012 and assessed for level of readability using the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, SMOG grading, Coleman-Liau Index, Gunning-Fog Index, Raygor Readability Estimate graph, and Fry Readability graph. The text from each subsection was pasted as plain text into Microsoft Word document, and each subsection was subjected to readability analysis using the software package Readability Studio Professional Edition Version 2012.1. All health care education material assessed is written between an 11th grade and graduate reading level and is considered "difficult to read" by the assessment scales. Online patient education materials on the AAO-HNSF Web site are written above the recommended 6th grade level and may need to be revised to make them more easily understood by a broader audience.

Readability analysis of healthcare-oriented education resources from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

PubMed

Misra, Poonam; Agarwal, Nitin; Kasabwala, Khushabu; Hansberry, David R; Setzen, Michael; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-01-01

Deficient health literacy remains a widespread public issue. As such, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that all patient resources should be written around a sixth-grade level. The authors evaluate healthcare-oriented resources specified for patient use on the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) Web site in order to identify potential areas of improvement and highlight those sections that may serve as paradigms for future revisions. Descriptive and correlational design. Seventeen healthcare-oriented resources specifically for patients were downloaded in February 2012 from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Web site. Readability assessments of each article were performed using Readability Studio Professional Edition Version 2012.1. These tests included the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, SMOG Grading, Coleman-Liau Index, Gunning-Fog Index, the New Fog Count, the New Dale-Chall Readability Formula, FORCAST formula, Raygor Readability Estimate, and the Fry Graph. Patient health education material found on the AAFPRS Web site has been found to be written at an average grade level of 12th grade using 10 different readability scales. Modifications of the patient education section of the AAFPRS Web site can increase the readability of the literature, and allow greater comprehension among a wider audience. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

The role of readability in effective health communication: an experiment using a Japanese health information text on chronic suppurative otitis media.

PubMed

Sakai, Yukiko

2013-09-01

This study identifies the most significant readability factors and examines ways of improving and evaluating Japanese health information text in terms of ease of reading and understanding. Six different Japanese texts were prepared based on an original short text written by a medical doctor for a hospital web site intended for laypersons regarding chronic suppurative otitis media. Four were revised for single readability factor (syntax, vocabulary, or text structure) and two were modified in all three factors. Using a web-based survey, 270 high school students read one of the seven texts, including the original, completed two kinds of comprehension tests, and answered questions on their impressions of the text's readability. Significantly higher comprehension test scores were shown in the true or false test for a mixed text that presented important information first for better text structure. They were also found in the cloze test for a text using common vocabulary and a cohesive mixed text. Vocabulary could be a critical single readability factor when presumably combined with better text structure. Using multiple evaluation methods can help assess comprehensive readability. The findings on improvement and evaluation methods of readability can be applied to support effective health communication. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group Health Information and Libraries Journal.

Readability of American online patient education materials in urologic oncology: a need for simple communication.

PubMed

Pruthi, Amanda; Nielsen, Matthew E; Raynor, Mathew C; Woods, Michael E; Wallen, Eric M; Smith, Angela B

2015-02-01

To determine the readability levels of reputable cancer and urologic Web sites addressing bladder, prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. Online patient education materials (PEMs) for bladder, prostate, kidney, and testicular malignancies were evaluated from the American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Urology Care Foundation, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Kidney Cancer Association, and Testicular Cancer Resource Center. Grade level was determined using several readability indices, and analyses were performed on the basis of cancer type, Web site, and content area (general, causes, risk factors and prevention, diagnosis and staging, treatment, and post-treatment). Estimated grade level of online PEMs ranged from 9.2 to 14.2 with an overall mean of 11.7. Web sites for kidney cancer had the least difficult readability (11.3) and prostate cancer had the most difficult readability (12.1). Among specific Web sites, the most difficult readability levels were noted for the Urology Care Foundation Web site for bladder and prostate cancer and the Kidney Cancer Association and Testicular Cancer Resource Center for kidney and testes cancer. Readability levels within content areas varied on the basis of the disease and Web site. Online PEMs in urologic oncology are written at a level above the average American reader. Simplification of these resources is necessary to improve patient understanding of urologic malignancy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Constraining the Structure of the Transition Disk HD 135344B (SAO 206462) by Simultaneous Modeling of Multiwavelength Gas and Dust Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carmona, A.; Pinte, C.; Thi, W. F.; Benisty, M.; Menard, F.; Grady, C.; Kamp, I.; Woitke, P.; Olofsson, J.; Roberge, A.;

Use of a New Set of Linguistic Features to Improve Automatic Assessment of Text Readability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshimi, Takehiko; Kotani, Katsunori; Isahara, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

The present paper proposes and evaluates a readability assessment method designed for Japanese learners of EFL (English as a foreign language). The proposed readability assessment method is constructed by a regression algorithm using a new set of linguistic features that were employed separately in previous studies. The results showed that the…

Matching Readers to Instructional Materials: The Use of Classic Readability Measures for Students with Language Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotula, Andrea Winokur

2003-01-01

The matching of students with language learning disabilities and dyslexia to appropriate reading materials is discussed, and formal and informal methods are presented for determining reading levels for accuracy, fluency, and comprehension instruction and practice. The Spache Readability Formula, the New Dale-Challe Readability Formula, and…

Reply to "Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHugh, R. Kathryn; Behar, Evelyn

2012-01-01

In his commentary on our previously published article "Readability of Self-Report Measures of Depression and Anxiety," J. Schinka (2012) argued for the importance of considering readability of patient materials and highlighted limitations of existing methodologies for this assessment. Schinka's commentary articulately described the weaknesses of…

Readability--The Situation Today. Reading Education Report No. 70.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Alice

Defining readability in both the narrow sense of formula use and refinement and the broader sense of the processing and comprehension of language, this paper argues for the need for more research focusing on readability as a way of improving the match between reader and text. Following a brief introduction, the paper reviews current readability…

Day and night models of the Venus thermosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massie, S. T.; Hunten, D. M.; Sowell, D. R.

1983-01-01

A model atmosphere of Venus for altitudes between 100 and 178 km is presented for the dayside and nightside. Densities of CO2, CO, O, N2, He, and O2 on the dayside, for 0800 and 1600 hours local time, are obtained by simultaneous solution of continuity equations. These equations couple ionospheric and neutral chemistry and the transport processes of molecular and eddy diffusion. Photodissociation and photoionization J coefficients are presented to facilitate the incorporation of chemistry into circulation models of the Venus atmosphere. Midnight densities of CO2 CO, O, N2, He, and N are derived from integration of the continuity equations, subject to specified fluxes. The nightside densities and fluxes are consistent with the observed airglow of NO and O2(1 Delta). The homopause of Venus is located near 133 km on both the dayside and nightside.

Online Information on the Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome: Quality and Readability.

PubMed

Alnafea, Shatha; Fedele, Stefano; Porter, Stephen; Ni Riordain, Richeal

2017-01-01

To evaluate the quality and readability of online information about the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). An internet search using the phrase "burning mouth syndrome treatment" was carried out on the Google search engine (www.google.co.uk) on 8 June 2015, and the first 100 websites listed were examined. Data collection included DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks for website analysis score, the presence of the Health on the Net (HON) Foundation seal, and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Descriptive statistics were performed using Microsoft Office Excel. The search strategy initially yielded 635,000 links; following the application of the exclusion criteria, 53 sites remained for analysis. The overall DISCERN score varied between websites, with half of all websites achieving an overall score of 2 and none of these websites achieving the maximum score of 5. The mean score ± standard deviation (SD) was 2.4 ± 0.7. Only 10 (18.9%) of the websites achieved the four JAMA benchmarks while 3 (5.7%) of the websites did not achieve any of them. Only 9 (17%) displayed the HON seal. The FRES of the websites ranged from 32.4 to 82.2; the mean ± SD rating was 55.4 ± 10.7, which is considered to reflect fairly difficult reading. The information available online about BMS is of questionable quality and content. Perhaps engaging patients in determining what type and format of information they desire when searching online for health information could guide clinicians and researchers alike in providing reliable and readable information sources.

Readability of Wikipedia Pages on Autoimmune Disorders: Systematic Quantitative Assessment

PubMed Central

Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Brigo, Francesco; Sharif, Kassem; Amital, Howard; McGonagle, Dennis; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Adawi, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Background In the era of new information and communication technologies, the Internet is being increasingly accessed for health-related information. Indeed, recently published patient surveys of people with autoimmune disorders confirmed that the Internet was reported as one of the most important health information sources. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia launched in 2001, is generally one of the most visited websites worldwide and is often consulted for health-related information. Objective The main objective of this investigation was to quantitatively assess whether the Wikipedia pages related to autoimmune disorders can be easily accessed by patients and their families, in terms of readability. Methods We obtained and downloaded a list of autoimmune disorders from the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) website. We analyzed Wikipedia articles for their overall level of readability with 6 different quantitative readability scales: (1) the Flesch Reading Ease, (2) the Gunning Fog Index, (3) the Coleman-Liau Index, (4) the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, (5) the Automated Readability Index (ARI), and (6) the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Further, we investigated the correlation between readability and clinical, pathological, and epidemiological parameters. Moreover, each Wikipedia analysis was assessed according to its content, breaking down the readability indices by main topic of each part (namely, pathogenesis, treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis plus a section containing paragraphs not falling into any of the previous categories). Results We retrieved 134 diseases from the AARDA website. The Flesch Reading Ease yielded a mean score of 24.34 (SD 10.73), indicating that the sites were very difficult to read and best understood by university graduates, while mean Gunning Fog Index and ARI scores were 16.87 (SD 2.03) and 14.06 (SD 2.12), respectively. The Coleman-Liau Index and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level yielded mean scores of 14.48 (SD 1.57) and 14.86 (1.95), respectively, while the mean SMOG score was 15.38 (SD 1.37). All the readability indices confirmed that the sites were suitable for a university graduate reading level. We found no correlation between readability and clinical, pathological, and epidemiological parameters. Differences among the different sections of the Wikipedia pages were statistically significant. Conclusions Wikipedia pages related to autoimmune disorders are characterized by a low level of readability. The onus is, therefore, on physicians and health authorities to improve the health literacy skills of patients and their families and to create, together with patients themselves, disease-specific readable sites, disseminating highly accessible health-related online information, in terms of both clarity and conciseness. PMID:28720555

Suitability Evaluation of Multipoint Simultaneous CO2 Sampling Wireless Sensors for Livestock Buildings

PubMed Central

Calvet, Salvador; Campelo, José Carlos; Estellés, Fernando; Perles, Angel; Mercado, Ricardo; Serrano, Juan José

2014-01-01

The environment in livestock buildings must be controlled to ensure the health and welfare of both workers and animals, as well as to restrict the emission of pollutants to the atmosphere. Among the pollutants generated inside these premises, carbon dioxide (CO2) is of great interest in terms of animal welfare and ventilation control. The use of inexpensive sensors means that complete systems can be designed with a number of sensors located around the building. This paper describes a study of the suitability of multipoint simultaneous CO2 sensors operating in a wireless sensor network, which was found to operate satisfactorily under laboratory conditions and was found to be the best alternative for these applications. The sensors showed a highly linear response to CO2 concentrations, ranging from 500 to 5000 ppm. However, individual sensor response was found to differ, which made it necessary to calibrate each one separately. Sensor precision ranged between 80 and 110 ppm CO2, and sensor response to register a 95% change in concentration was estimated at around 5 min. These features mean this type of sensor network can be used to monitor animal welfare and also for environmental control in poorly ventilated livestock premises. According to the tests conducted in this study, a temporal drift may occur and therefore a regular calibration of sensors would be needed. PMID:24932867

Readability of medicinal package leaflets: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Pires, Carla; Vigário, Marina; Cavaco, Afonso

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To review studies on the readability of package leaflets of medicinal products for human use. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review between 2008 and 2013 using the keywords “Readability and Package Leaflet” and “Readability and Package Insert” in the academic search engine Biblioteca do Conhecimento Online, comprising different bibliographic resources/databases. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses criteria were applied to prepare the draft of the report. Quantitative and qualitative original studies were included. Opinion or review studies not written in English, Portuguese, Italian, French, or Spanish were excluded. RESULTS We identified 202 studies, of which 180 were excluded and 22 were enrolled [two enrolling healthcare professionals, 10 enrolling other type of participants (including patients), three focused on adverse reactions, and 7 descriptive studies]. The package leaflets presented various readability problems, such as complex and difficult to understand texts, small font size, or few illustrations. The main methods to assess the readability of the package leaflet were usability tests or legibility formulae. Limitations with these methods included reduced number of participants; lack of readability formulas specifically validated for specific languages (e.g., Portuguese); and absence of an assessment on patients literacy, health knowledge, cognitive skills, levels of satisfaction, and opinions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the package leaflets presented various readability problems. In this review, some methodological limitations were identified, including the participation of a limited number of patients and healthcare professionals, the absence of prior assessments of participant literacy, humor or sense of satisfaction, or the predominance of studies not based on role-plays about the use of medicines. These limitations should be avoided in future studies and be considered when interpreting the results. PMID:25741660

Assessing the Readability of Medical Documents: A Ranking Approach.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

2018-03-23

The use of electronic health record (EHR) systems with patient engagement capabilities, including viewing, downloading, and transmitting health information, has recently grown tremendously. However, using these resources to engage patients in managing their own health remains challenging due to the complex and technical nature of the EHR narratives. Our objective was to develop a machine learning-based system to assess readability levels of complex documents such as EHR notes. We collected difficulty ratings of EHR notes and Wikipedia articles using crowdsourcing from 90 readers. We built a supervised model to assess readability based on relative orders of text difficulty using both surface text features and word embeddings. We evaluated system performance using the Kendall coefficient of concordance against human ratings. Our system achieved significantly higher concordance (.734) with human annotators than did a baseline using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, a widely adopted readability formula (.531). The improvement was also consistent across different disease topics. This method's concordance with an individual human user's ratings was also higher than the concordance between different human annotators (.658). We explored methods to automatically assess the readability levels of clinical narratives. Our ranking-based system using simple textual features and easy-to-learn word embeddings outperformed a widely used readability formula. Our ranking-based method can predict relative difficulties of medical documents. It is not constrained to a predefined set of readability levels, a common design in many machine learning-based systems. Furthermore, the feature set does not rely on complex processing of the documents. One potential application of our readability ranking is personalization, allowing patients to better accommodate their own background knowledge. ©Jiaping Zheng, Hong Yu. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 23.03.2018.

Further issues in determining the readability of self-report items: comment on McHugh and Behar (2009).

PubMed

Schinka, John A

2012-10-01

Issues regarding the readability of self-report assessment instruments, methods for establishing the reading ability level of respondents, and guidelines for development of scales designed for marginal readers have been inconsistently addressed in the literature. A recent study by McHugh and Behar (2009) provided new findings relevant to these issues. McHugh and Behar calculated indices of readability separately for the instructions and the item sets of 105 self-report measures of anxiety and depression. Results revealed substantial variability in readability among the measures, with most measures being written at or above the mean reading grade level in the United States. These results were consistent with those reported previously by Schinka and Borum (1993, 1994) in analyses of the readability of commonly used self-report psychopathology and personality inventories. In their discussion, McHugh and Behar addressed implications of their findings for clinical assessment and for scale development. I expand on their comments by addressing the failure to consider vocabulary difficulty, a major shortcoming of readability indices that examine only text complexity. I demonstrate how vocabulary difficulty influences readability and discuss additional considerations and possible solutions for addressing the gap between scale readability and the reading skill level of the self-report respondent. The work of McHugh and Behar clearly demonstrates that the issues of reading ability that arise in collecting self-report data are neither simple nor straightforward. Comments are offered to focus attention on the problems identified by their work. These problems will require additional effort on the part of researchers and clinicians in order to obtain reliable, valid estimates of clinical status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Readability of medicinal package leaflets: a systematic review.

PubMed

Pires, Carla; Vigário, Marina; Cavaco, Afonso

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To review studies on the readability of package leaflets of medicinal products for human use. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review between 2008 and 2013 using the keywords "Readability and Package Leaflet" and "Readability and Package Insert" in the academic search engine Biblioteca do Conhecimento Online, comprising different bibliographic resources/databases. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses criteria were applied to prepare the draft of the report. Quantitative and qualitative original studies were included. Opinion or review studies not written in English, Portuguese, Italian, French, or Spanish were excluded. RESULTS We identified 202 studies, of which 180 were excluded and 22 were enrolled [two enrolling healthcare professionals, 10 enrolling other type of participants (including patients), three focused on adverse reactions, and 7 descriptive studies]. The package leaflets presented various readability problems, such as complex and difficult to understand texts, small font size, or few illustrations. The main methods to assess the readability of the package leaflet were usability tests or legibility formulae. Limitations with these methods included reduced number of participants; lack of readability formulas specifically validated for specific languages (e.g., Portuguese); and absence of an assessment on patients literacy, health knowledge, cognitive skills, levels of satisfaction, and opinions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the package leaflets presented various readability problems. In this review, some methodological limitations were identified, including the participation of a limited number of patients and healthcare professionals, the absence of prior assessments of participant literacy, humor or sense of satisfaction, or the predominance of studies not based on role-plays about the use of medicines. These limitations should be avoided in future studies and be considered when interpreting the results.

Comparison of the characteristics of small commercial NDIR CO2 sensor models and development of a portable CO2 measurement device.

PubMed

Yasuda, Tomomi; Yonemura, Seiichiro; Tani, Akira

2012-01-01

Many sensors have to be used simultaneously for multipoint carbon dioxide (CO(2)) observation. All the sensors should be calibrated in advance, but this is a time-consuming process. To seek a simplified calibration method, we used four commercial CO(2) sensor models and characterized their output tendencies against ambient temperature and length of use, in addition to offset characteristics. We used four samples of standard gas with different CO(2) concentrations (0, 407, 1,110, and 1,810 ppm). The outputs of K30 and AN100 models showed linear relationships with temperature and length of use. Calibration coefficients for sensor models were determined using the data from three individual sensors of the same model to minimize the relative RMS error. When the correction was applied to the sensors, the accuracy of measurements improved significantly in the case of the K30 and AN100 units. In particular, in the case of K30 the relative RMS error decreased from 24% to 4%. Hence, we have chosen K30 for developing a portable CO(2) measurement device (10 × 10 × 15 cm, 900 g). Data of CO(2) concentration, measurement time and location, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure can be recorded onto a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. The CO(2) concentration in a high-school lecture room was monitored with this device. The CO(2) data, when corrected for simultaneously measured temperature, water vapor partial pressure, and atmospheric pressure, showed a good agreement with the data measured by a highly accurate CO(2) analyzer, LI-6262. This indicates that acceptable accuracy can be realized using the calibration method developed in this study.

Comparison of the Characteristics of Small Commercial NDIR CO2 Sensor Models and Development of a Portable CO2 Measurement Device

PubMed Central

Yasuda, Tomomi; Yonemura, Seiichiro; Tani, Akira

2012-01-01

Many sensors have to be used simultaneously for multipoint carbon dioxide (CO2) observation. All the sensors should be calibrated in advance, but this is a time-consuming process. To seek a simplified calibration method, we used four commercial CO2 sensor models and characterized their output tendencies against ambient temperature and length of use, in addition to offset characteristics. We used four samples of standard gas with different CO2 concentrations (0, 407, 1,110, and 1,810 ppm). The outputs of K30 and AN100 models showed linear relationships with temperature and length of use. Calibration coefficients for sensor models were determined using the data from three individual sensors of the same model to minimize the relative RMS error. When the correction was applied to the sensors, the accuracy of measurements improved significantly in the case of the K30 and AN100 units. In particular, in the case of K30 the relative RMS error decreased from 24% to 4%. Hence, we have chosen K30 for developing a portable CO2 measurement device (10 × 10 × 15 cm, 900 g). Data of CO2 concentration, measurement time and location, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure can be recorded onto a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. The CO2 concentration in a high-school lecture room was monitored with this device. The CO2 data, when corrected for simultaneously measured temperature, water vapor partial pressure, and atmospheric pressure, showed a good agreement with the data measured by a highly accurate CO2 analyzer, LI-6262. This indicates that acceptable accuracy can be realized using the calibration method developed in this study. PMID:22737029

Compact cosmic ray detector for unattended atmospheric ionization monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aplin, K. L.; Harrison, R. G.

2010-12-01

Two vertical cosmic ray telescopes for atmospheric cosmic ray ionization event detection are compared. Counter A, designed for low power remote use, was deployed in the Welsh mountains; its event rate increased with altitude as expected from atmospheric cosmic ray absorption. Independently, Counter B's event rate was found to vary with incoming particle acceptance angle. Simultaneous co-located comparison of both telescopes exposed to atmospheric ionization showed a linear relationship between their event rates.

A Software Application for Assessing Readability in the Japanese EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozasa, Toshiaki; Weir, George R. S.; Fukui, Masayasu

2010-01-01

We have been engaged in developing a readability index and its application software attuned for Japanese EFL learners. The index program, Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 1.0, was used in developing the readability metric Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Index but tended to assume a high level of computer knowledge in its users. As a result, the…

Does Machine-Readable Documentation on Online Hosts and CD-ROMs Have a Role or Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Stephen; Oppenheim, Charles

1996-01-01

Reports results of a United Kingdom-based mail survey of database users, CD-ROM producers, and hosts to assess trends and views concerning documentation in machine-readable form. Cost, convenience, and ease of use of print manuals are cited as reasons for the reluctance to switch to machine-readable documentation. Sample surveys are included.…

Simulation-Based Rule Generation Considering Readability

PubMed Central

Yahagi, H.; Shimizu, S.; Ogata, T.; Hara, T.; Ota, J.

2015-01-01

Rule generation method is proposed for an aircraft control problem in an airport. Designing appropriate rules for motion coordination of taxiing aircraft in the airport is important, which is conducted by ground control. However, previous studies did not consider readability of rules, which is important because it should be operated and maintained by humans. Therefore, in this study, using the indicator of readability, we propose a method of rule generation based on parallel algorithm discovery and orchestration (PADO). By applying our proposed method to the aircraft control problem, the proposed algorithm can generate more readable and more robust rules and is found to be superior to previous methods. PMID:27347501

Readability of patient education materials in ophthalmology: a single-institution study and systematic review.

PubMed

Williams, Andrew M; Muir, Kelly W; Rosdahl, Jullia A

2016-08-03

Patient education materials should be written at a level that is understandable for patients with low health literacy. The aims of this study are (1) to review the literature on readability of ophthalmic patient education materials and (2) to evaluate and revise our institution's patient education materials about glaucoma using evidence-based guidelines on writing for patients with low health literacy. A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed/MEDLINE database for studies that have evaluated readability level of ophthalmic patient education materials, and the reported readability scores were assessed. Additionally, we collected evidence-based guidelines for writing easy-to-read patient education materials, and these recommendations were applied to revise 12 patient education handouts on various glaucoma topics at our institution. Readability measures, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and word count were calculated for the original and revised documents. The original and revised versions of the handouts were then scored in random order by two glaucoma specialists using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument, a grading scale used to evaluate suitability of health information materials for patients. Paired t test was used to analyze changes in readability measures, word count, and SAM score between original and revised handouts. Finally, five glaucoma patients were interviewed to discuss the revised materials, and patient feedback was analyzed qualitatively. Our literature search included 13 studies that evaluated a total of 950 educational materials. Among the mean FKGL readability scores reported in these studies, the median was 11 (representing an eleventh-grade reading level). At our institution, handouts' readability averaged a tenth-grade reading level (FKGL = 10.0 ± 1.6), but revising the handouts improved their readability to a sixth-grade reading level (FKGL = 6.4 ± 1.2) (p < 0.001). Additionally, the mean SAM score of our institution's handouts improved from 60 ± 7 % (adequate) for the original versions to 88 ± 4 % (superior) for the revised handouts (p < 0.001). Our systematic review of the literature reveals that ophthalmic patient education materials are consistently written at a level that is too high for many patients to understand. Our institution's experience suggests that applying guidelines on writing easy-to-understand material can improve the readability and suitability of educational materials for patients with low health literacy.

[Readability and internet accessibility of informative documents for spinal cord injury patients in Spanish].

PubMed

Bea-Muñoz, M; Medina-Sánchez, M; Flórez-García, M T

2015-01-01

Patients with spinal cord injuries and their carers have access to leaflets on Internet that they can use as educational material to complement traditional forms of education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the readability of informative documents in Spanish, obtained from Internet and aimed at patients with spinal cord injuries. A search was made with the Google search engine using the following key words: recommendation, advice, guide, manual, self-care, education and information, adding spinal cord injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia to each of the terms. We analyzed the first 50 results of each search. The readability of the leaflets was studied with the Flesch-Szigriszt index and the INFLESZ scale, both available on the INFLESZ program. Also indicated were year of publication, country and number of authors of the documents obtained. We obtained 16 documents, developed between 2001 and 2011. Readability oscillated between 43.34 (some-what difficult) and 62 (normal), with an average value of 51.56 (somewhat difficult). Only 4 pamphlets (25%) showed a Flesch-Szigriszt index of ≥ 55 (normal). There was no difference in readability by year, authors or country of publication. The readability of 75% of the documents studied was "somewhat difficult" according to the INFLESZ scale. These results coincide with previous studies, in both Spanish and English. If the readability of this type of documents is improved, it will be easier to achieve their educational goal.

Readability and suitability assessment of patient education materials in rheumatic diseases.

PubMed

Rhee, Rennie L; Von Feldt, Joan M; Schumacher, H Ralph; Merkel, Peter A

2013-10-01

Web-based patient education materials and printed pamphlets are frequently used by providers to inform patients about their rheumatic disease. Little attention has been given to the readability and appropriateness of patient materials. The objective of this study was to examine the readability and suitability of commonly used patient education materials for osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vasculitis. Five or 6 popular patient resources for each disease were chosen for evaluation. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level and suitability was determined by the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), a score that considers characteristics such as content, graphics, layout/topography, and cultural appropriateness. Three different reviewers rated the SAM score and means were used in the analysis. Twenty-three resources written on the 4 diseases were evaluated. The education material for all 4 diseases studied had readability above the eighth-grade level and readability did not differ among the diseases. Only 5 of the 23 resources received superior suitability scores, and 3 of these 5 resources were written for OA. All 4 diseases received adequate suitability scores, with OA having the highest mean suitability score. Most patient education materials for rheumatic diseases are written at readability levels above the recommended sixth-grade reading level and have only adequate suitability. Developing more appropriate educational resources for patients with rheumatic diseases may improve patient comprehension. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Rheumatology.

1024x1024 Pixel MWIR and LWIR QWIP Focal Plane Arrays and 320x256 MWIR:LWIR Pixel Colocated Simultaneous Dualband QWIP Focal Plane Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunapala, Sarath D.; Bandara, Sumith V.; Liu, John K.; Hill, Cory J.; Rafol, S. B.; Mumolo, Jason M.; Trinh, Joseph T.; Tidrow, M. Z.; Le Van, P. D.

2005-01-01

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024x1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NE(Delta)T) of 17 mK at a 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NE(Delta)T of 13 mK at a 70K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K and 70K operating-temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we are in the process of developing MWIR and LWIR pixel collocated simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays.

Correlative nature of ozone and carbon monoxide in the troposphere - Implications for the tropospheric ozone budget

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, J.; Seiler, W.

1983-01-01

The small-scale vertical variability of troposheric O3 and CO is examined using a set of simultaneous measurements obtained in July and August 1974 between 55 deg S and 67 deg N. From this set of vertical profiles, it is found that many of the fluctuations are coincident in both species, and a method is presented that quantifies the correlation between the observed O3 and CO variability. A two-dimensional depiction of the distribution of these O3-CO correlations reveals that there are regions in the troposphere where these trace gases are positively correlated and that, at the same time, there are preferred locations where these two species are primarily anticorrelated. The regions of anticorrelation are found to be consistent with the traditional picture of the tropospheric ozone cycle, suggesting that this gas is chemically unreactive in the troposphere. On the other hand, the location and magnitude of the region in which these two species are positively correlated indicates that there is considerable in situ production of tropospheric ozone.

Joint Optimization of Distribution Network Design and Two-Echelon Inventory Control with Stochastic Demand and CO2 Emission Tax Charges

PubMed Central

Li, Shuangyan; Li, Xialian; Zhang, Dezhi; Zhou, Lingyun

2017-01-01

This study develops an optimization model to integrate facility location and inventory control for a three-level distribution network consisting of a supplier, multiple distribution centers (DCs), and multiple retailers. The integrated model addressed in this study simultaneously determines three types of decisions: (1) facility location (optimal number, location, and size of DCs); (2) allocation (assignment of suppliers to located DCs and retailers to located DCs, and corresponding optimal transport mode choices); and (3) inventory control decisions on order quantities, reorder points, and amount of safety stock at each retailer and opened DC. A mixed-integer programming model is presented, which considers the carbon emission taxes, multiple transport modes, stochastic demand, and replenishment lead time. The goal is to minimize the total cost, which covers the fixed costs of logistics facilities, inventory, transportation, and CO2 emission tax charges. The aforementioned optimal model was solved using commercial software LINGO 11. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the applications of the proposed model. The findings show that carbon emission taxes can significantly affect the supply chain structure, inventory level, and carbon emission reduction levels. The delay rate directly affects the replenishment decision of a retailer. PMID:28103246

Readability and the Production of Instructional Text in the Royal Navy,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

Conclusions 28 References 35 Appendix A Royal Naval Educational and Training Establishrents Surveyed during the Project. Appendix B Readability and the...systematic assessment has been recognised for sone time. Educators understandably showed an interest in readability. Klare [351 reported cases of...covered, the purposes of the study were explained and discussed. 2. Subjects: Contact was made with all the major educational and training establishments

Department of Defense Logistics Roadmap 2008. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

machine readable identification mark on the Department’s tangible qualifying assets, and establishes the data management protocols needed to...uniquely identify items with a Unique Item Identifier (UII) via machine - readable information (MRI) marking represented by a two-dimensional data...property items with a machine -readable Unique Item Identifier (UII), which is a set of globally unique data elements. The UII is used in functional

Readability Levels of the Reading Passages in the ITED: Final Report. Iowa Testing Programs Research Report. Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsyth, Robert

The readability level of passages from three subtests of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), Forms X-6 and Y-6, were compared with the readability level of passages selected from the Des Moines Resister, Reader's Digest, Time, Newsweek, Saturday Review, and 18 high school textbooks from the fields of social studies, science, and…

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study

PubMed Central

Yu, Hong

2017-01-01

Background Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients’ comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. Objective The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople’s perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas’ appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. Methods We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople’s perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. Results The distributions of both readability formulas’ scores (P<.001) and laypeople’s perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople’s perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (P<.001). Word usage in the 2 related genres still differed significantly (P<.001). Conclusions Our findings suggested that the readability formulas’ predictions did not align with perceived difficulty in either text genre. The widely used readability formulas were highly correlated with each other but did not show adequate correlation with readers’ perceived difficulty. Therefore, they were not appropriate to assess the readability of EHR notes. PMID:28254738

Integrated Ultra-Wideband Tracking and Carbon Dioxide Sensing System Design for International Space Station Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ni, Jianjun (David); Hafermalz, David; Dusl, John; Barton, Rick; Wagner, Ray; Ngo, Phong

2015-01-01

A three-dimensional (3D) Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Time-of-Arrival (TOA) tracking system has been studied at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to provide the tracking capability inside the International Space Station (ISS) modules for various applications. One of applications is to locate and report the location where crew experienced possible high level of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and felt upset. Recent findings indicate that frequent, short-term crew exposure to elevated CO2 levels combined with other physiological impacts of microgravity may lead to a number of detrimental effects, including loss of vision. To evaluate the risks associated with transient elevated CO2 levels and design effective countermeasures, doctors must have access to frequent CO2 measurements in the immediate vicinity of individual crew members along with simultaneous measurements of their location in the space environment. To achieve this goal, a small, low-power, wearable system that integrates an accurate CO2 sensor with an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio capable of real-time location estimation and data communication is proposed. This system would be worn by crew members or mounted on a free-flyer and would automatically gather and transmit sampled sensor data tagged with real-time, high-resolution location information. Under the current proposed effort, a breadboard prototype of such a system has been developed. Although the initial effort is targeted to CO2 monitoring, the concept is applicable to other types of sensors. For the initial effort, a micro-controller is leveraged to integrate a low-power CO2 sensor with a commercially available UWB radio system with ranging capability. In order to accurately locate those places in a multipath intensive environment like ISS modules, it requires a robust real-time location system (RTLS) which can provide the required accuracy and update rate. A 3D UWB TOA tracking system with two-way ranging has been proposed and studied. The designed system will be tested in the Wireless Habitat Testbed which simulates the ISS module environment. This report describes the research and development effort for this prototype integrated UWB tracking and CO2 sensing system. The remainder of the report is organized as follows. In Section II, the TOA tracking methodology is introduced and the 3D tracking algorithm is derived. The simulation results are discussed in Section III. In Section VI, prototype system design and field tests are discussed. Some concluding remarks and future works are presented in Section V.

Quantum cascade laser based sensor for open path measurement of atmospheric trace gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Hao; Sun, Juan; Liu, Ningwu; Ding, Junya; Chao, Zhou; Zhang, Lei; Li, Jingsong

2017-02-01

A sensitive open-path gas sensor employing a continuous-wave (CW) distributed feedback (DFB) quantum cascade laser (QCL) and direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS) was demonstrated for simultaneously measurements of atmospheric CO and N2O. Two interference free absorption lines located at 2190.0175 cm-1 and 2190.3498 cm-1 were selected for CO and N2O concentration measurements, respectively. The Allan variance analysis technique was performed to investigate the long-term performance of the QCL sensor system. The results indicate that a detection limit of 9.92 ppb for CO and 7.7 ppb for N2O with 1-s integration time were achieved, which can be further improved to 1.5 ppb and 1.1 ppb by increasing the average time up to 80 s.

Single-tube tetradecaplex panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers < 1 Mb from F8 for simplified preimplantation genetic diagnosis of hemophilia A.

PubMed

Zhao, M; Chen, M; Tan, A S C; Cheah, F S H; Mathew, J; Wong, P C; Chong, S S

2017-07-01

Essentials Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of severe hemophilia A relies on linkage analysis. Simultaneous multi-marker screening can simplify selection of informative markers in a couple. We developed a single-tube tetradecaplex panel of polymorphic markers for hemophilia A PGD use. Informative markers can be used for linkage analysis alone or combined with mutation detection. Background It is currently not possible to perform single-cell preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to directly detect the common inversion mutations of the factor VIII (F8) gene responsible for severe hemophilia A (HEMA). As such, PGD for such inversion carriers relies on indirect analysis of linked polymorphic markers. Objectives To simplify linkage-based PGD of HEMA, we aimed to develop a panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers located near the F8 gene that could be simultaneously genotyped in a multiplex-PCR reaction. Methods We assessed the polymorphism of various microsatellite markers located ≤ 1 Mb from F8 in 177 female subjects. Highly polymorphic markers were selected for co-amplification with the AMELX/Y indel dimorphism in a single-tube reaction. Results Thirteen microsatellite markers located within 0.6 Mb of F8 were successfully co-amplified with AMELX/Y in a single-tube reaction. Observed heterozygosities of component markers ranged from 0.43 to 0.84, and ∼70-80% of individuals were heterozygous for ≥ 5 markers. The tetradecaplex panel successfully identified fully informative markers in a couple interested in PGD for HEMA because of an intragenic F8 point mutation, with haplotype phasing established through a carrier daughter. In-vitro fertilization (IVF)-PGD involved single-tube co-amplification of fully informative markers with AMELX/Y and the mutation-containing F8 amplicon, followed by microsatellite analysis and amplicon mutation-site minisequencing analysis. Conclusions The single-tube multiplex-PCR format of this highly polymorphic microsatellite marker panel simplifies identification and selection of informative markers for linkage-based PGD of HEMA. Informative markers can also be easily co-amplified with mutation-containing F8 amplicons for combined mutation detection and linkage analysis. © 2017 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Development of written information for antiretroviral therapy: comprehension in a Tanzanian population.

PubMed

Mwingira, Betty; Dowse, Ros

2007-06-01

To design and develop a simple, easily readable patient information leaflet (PIL) for a commonly used antiretroviral (ARV) regimen and to evaluate its readability and acceptability in a Tanzanian population. A PIL incorporating simple text and pictograms was designed for the antiretroviral regimen of stavudine, lamivudine and efavirenz. The PIL was designed according to established good design guidelines, modified during a multi-stage iterative testing process and piloted in a South African Xhosa population. The PIL was made available in both English and Kiswahili. Sixty Tanzanian participants who were not taking ARVs were interviewed. They were asked to read the PIL in the language of their choice and were then asked a series of two-part questions; the first part required participants to locate the information in the PIL, after which they were asked to explain the information in their own words. Acceptability was assessed through close-ended questions and open-ended feedback. The influence of selected patient characteristics on comprehension of the PIL was investigated using one-way ANOVA and t-tests for independent samples with a significance level set at 0.05. Comprehension of the written information in an overall percentage understanding. The overall average percentage comprehension of the PIL was 95%. The target set by the EC guideline that at least 80% of participants correctly locate and understand the information was achieved for 19 of the 20 questions. Five of the six instructions illustrated by pictograms were correctly understood by all participants. The only patient characteristics significantly associated with comprehension were educational level and self-reported ease of reading the PIL. Acceptability of the PIL was high and positive comments were associated with simplicity, good design, easy readability and user-friendliness, the latter enhanced by the inclusion of pictograms. The PIL designed for this study was shown to be effective in communicating information about ARVs. Patient characteristics must be taken into account when developing written information, and the final document must be tested for comprehension in the target population.

Readability of Wikipedia Pages on Autoimmune Disorders: Systematic Quantitative Assessment.

PubMed

Watad, Abdulla; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Brigo, Francesco; Sharif, Kassem; Amital, Howard; McGonagle, Dennis; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Adawi, Mohammad

2017-07-18

In the era of new information and communication technologies, the Internet is being increasingly accessed for health-related information. Indeed, recently published patient surveys of people with autoimmune disorders confirmed that the Internet was reported as one of the most important health information sources. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia launched in 2001, is generally one of the most visited websites worldwide and is often consulted for health-related information. The main objective of this investigation was to quantitatively assess whether the Wikipedia pages related to autoimmune disorders can be easily accessed by patients and their families, in terms of readability. We obtained and downloaded a list of autoimmune disorders from the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) website. We analyzed Wikipedia articles for their overall level of readability with 6 different quantitative readability scales: (1) the Flesch Reading Ease, (2) the Gunning Fog Index, (3) the Coleman-Liau Index, (4) the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, (5) the Automated Readability Index (ARI), and (6) the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Further, we investigated the correlation between readability and clinical, pathological, and epidemiological parameters. Moreover, each Wikipedia analysis was assessed according to its content, breaking down the readability indices by main topic of each part (namely, pathogenesis, treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis plus a section containing paragraphs not falling into any of the previous categories). We retrieved 134 diseases from the AARDA website. The Flesch Reading Ease yielded a mean score of 24.34 (SD 10.73), indicating that the sites were very difficult to read and best understood by university graduates, while mean Gunning Fog Index and ARI scores were 16.87 (SD 2.03) and 14.06 (SD 2.12), respectively. The Coleman-Liau Index and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level yielded mean scores of 14.48 (SD 1.57) and 14.86 (1.95), respectively, while the mean SMOG score was 15.38 (SD 1.37). All the readability indices confirmed that the sites were suitable for a university graduate reading level. We found no correlation between readability and clinical, pathological, and epidemiological parameters. Differences among the different sections of the Wikipedia pages were statistically significant. Wikipedia pages related to autoimmune disorders are characterized by a low level of readability. The onus is, therefore, on physicians and health authorities to improve the health literacy skills of patients and their families and to create, together with patients themselves, disease-specific readable sites, disseminating highly accessible health-related online information, in terms of both clarity and conciseness. ©Abdulla Watad, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Francesco Brigo, Kassem Sharif, Howard Amital, Dennis McGonagle, Yehuda Shoenfeld, Mohammad Adawi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 18.07.2017.

Readability of Internet Information on Hearing: Systematic Literature Review.

PubMed

Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Thorén, Elisabet Sundewall

2015-09-01

This systematic literature review asks the following question: “ What is the readability of Internet information on hearing that people with hearing impairment and their significant others can access in the context of their hearing care?” Searches were completed in three databases: CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus. Seventy-eight records were identified and systematically screened for eligibility: 8 records were included that contained data on the readability of Internet information on hearing that people with hear ing impairment and their significant others can access in the context of their hearing care. Records reported mean readability levels from 9 to over 14. In other words, people with hearing impairment and their significant others need 9 to 14 years of education to read and understand Internet information on hearing that they access in the context of their hearing care. The poor readability of Internet information on hearing has been well documented; it is time to focus on valid and sustainable initiatives that address this problem.

How Effective Are Patient Education Materials in Educating Patients?

PubMed

Keçeci, Ayla; Toprak, Sadiye; Kiliç, Seçil

2017-11-01

The aim of this research was to evaluate the patient education materials prepared and published by nurses and physicians in terms of the qualitative properties of these materials, including readability, understandability, and actionability. A total of 38 patient education materials prepared by nurses and physicians in a university hospital in Turkey were evaluated. The readability of the materials was assessed using the formulas proposed by Atesman and Cetinkaya. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) form was used for estimating the understandability and actionability. Data were analyzed using the percentile and mean values, and the Kendall's Tau-c and correlation tests were used for interobserver agreement. According to the assessments based on the readability formulas, 55.3% of the materials were moderately difficult, while 81.6% had instructional-level readability (U.S. Grades 8 and 9) with a moderate to low level of understandability and actionability. Consequently, the patient education materials evaluated in our study had a moderate level of readability, understandability, and actionability.

Readability assessment of online patient education materials from academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery departments.

PubMed

Svider, Peter F; Agarwal, Nitin; Choudhry, Osamah J; Hajart, Aaron F; Baredes, Soly; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the readability of online patient education materials among academic otolaryngology departments in the mid-Atlantic region, with the purpose of determining whether these commonly used online resources were written at a level readily understood by the average American. A readability analysis of online patient education materials was performed using several commonly used readability assessments including the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, the New Dale-Chall Test, the Coleman-Liau Index, the New Fog Count, the Raygor Readability Estimate, the FORCAST test, and the Fry Graph. Most patient education materials from these programs were written at or above an 11th grade reading level, considerably above National Institutes of Health guidelines for recommended difficulty. Patient educational materials from academic otolaryngology Web sites are written at too difficult a reading level for a significant portion of patients and can be simplified. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies (MCG) of Vorontsov-Velyaminov et al, 1962-1968

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

Modifications, corrections, and the record format are provided for the machine-readable version of the "Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies.' In addition to hundreds of individual corrections, a detailed comparison of the machine-readable with the published catalogue resulted in the addition of 116 missing objects, the deletion of 10 duplicate records, and a format modification to increase storage efficiency.

Survey of quality, readability, and social reach of websites on osteosarcoma in adolescents.

PubMed

Lam, Catherine G; Roter, Debra L; Cohen, Kenneth J

2013-01-01

Little is known about Internet resources for adolescent patients. This study assessed the quality, readability, and social reach of websites on an illustrative adolescent cancer diagnosis, osteosarcoma. The top 50 results from four queries in two search engines were screened. Quality and readability were determined using standard DISCERN tool, Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kinkaid Grade. Social reach was gauged by social networking links, global website traffic, and a pilot adolescent-specificity measure. Of 400 websites assessed, 56 (14%) met inclusion criteria. Websites' mean quality was fair (49.8 on 75-point scale; range 31.0-66.0, poor to excellent); 86% failed readability standards (Grade>8); 75% offered at least one social networking link; and 34% offered site-specific social media. More than 60% received over 50,000 visits in the past month. Only 12.5% included adolescent-specific content. Of the 10 websites ranked highest for quality, only one achieved both readability targets and adolescent-specific content. Although some patient-oriented websites on osteosarcoma are of acceptable quality, most failed readability targets, and few appeared to address adolescents. Better awareness of Internet health resources and social media for adolescents with cancer is needed to address gaps, promote health literacy and facilitate patient-provider communication. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of online consumer medication information.

PubMed

Kim, Karissa Y; Metzger, Anne; Wigle, Patricia R; Choe, Pearl J

2011-06-01

Millions of Americans search the Internet for health-related information; however, the readability and comprehensiveness of consumer medication information (CMI) on the Internet has not been widely studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability and comprehensiveness of online CMI. The readability and comprehensiveness of consumer drug information found on 3 well-known Web sites (Medline Plus, Yahoo Health, and WebMD) was evaluated; in particular, information related to 10 commonly prescribed medications. Readability was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Fry Readability Graph (FRG) tools; comprehensiveness of information was evaluated using the Keystone action plan criteria. Using SMOG, the mean reading level of each Web site was 13th grade level or higher. Using the FRG, the mean reading level was 10th grade or higher. Out of the 24 points in the Keystone action plan criteria, information found on each of the Web sites was deemed accurate with mean score of 21, 21, and 19 for Medline Plus, Yahoo Health, and WebMD, respectively. For the medications reviewed, CMI found on Web sites was accurate when assessed using the Keystone action plan criteria. The readability levels were higher than the recommended sixth grade level. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability of sports medicine-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

PubMed

Ganta, Abhishek; Yi, Paul H; Hussein, Khalil; Frank, Rachel M

2014-04-01

Although studies have revealed high readability levels of orthopedic patient education materials, no study has evaluated sports medicine-related patient education materials. We conducted a study to assess the readability of sports medicine-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). All sports medicine patient education articles available online in 2012 from the AAOS and the AOSSM, including the Stop Sports Injuries Campaign (STOP), were identified, and their readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kinkaid (FK) readability test. Mean overall FK grade level of the 170 articles reviewed (104 from AAOS, 36 from AOSSM, 30 from STOP) was 10.2. Mean FK levels for the 3 sources were 9.5 (AAOS), 11.0 (AOSSM), and 11.5 (STOP) (P = .16). Fifteen (8.8%) of the 170 articles had a readability level at or below eighth grade (average reading level of US adults); only 2 (1.2%) of the 170 articles were at or below the recommended sixth-grade level. The majority of sports medicine-related patient education materials from AAOS and AOSSM had reading levels higher than recommended, indicating that the majority of the patient population may find it difficult to comprehend these articles.

Readability assessment of online patient education materials provided by the European Association of Urology.

PubMed

Betschart, Patrick; Zumstein, Valentin; Bentivoglio, Maico; Engeler, Daniel; Schmid, Hans-Peter; Abt, Dominik

2017-12-01

To assess the readability of the web-based patient education material provided by the European Association of Urology. English patient education materials (PEM) as available in May 2017 were obtained from the EAU website. Each topic was analyzed separately using six well-established readability assessment tools, including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), SMOG Grade Level (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Flesch Reading Ease Formula (FRE) and Fry Readability Graph (FRG). A total of 17 main topics were identified of which separate basic and in-depth information is provided for 14 topics. Calculation of grade levels (FKGL, SMOG, CLI, GFI) showed readability scores of 7th-13th grade for basic information, 8th-15th grade for in-depth information and 7th-15th grade for single PEM. Median FRE score was 54 points (range 45-65) for basic information and 56 points (41-64) for in-depth information. The FRG as a graphical assessment revealed only 13 valid results with an approximate 8th-17th grade level. The EAU provides carefully worked out PEM for 17 urological topics. Although improved readability compared to similar analyses was found, a simplification of certain chapters might be helpful to facilitate better patient understanding.

Readability of Orthopedic Trauma Patient Education Materials on the Internet.

PubMed

Mohan, Rohith; Yi, Paul H; Morshed, Saam

In this study, we used the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale to determine the readability levels of orthopedic trauma patient education materials on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) website and to examine how subspecialty coauthorship affects readability level. Included articles from the AAOS online patient education library and the AAOS OrthoPortal website were categorized as trauma or broken bones and injuries on the AAOS online library or were screened by study authors for relevance to orthopedic trauma. Subsequently, the Flesch-Kincaid scale was used to determine each article's readability level, which was reported as a grade level. Subspecialty coauthorship was noted for each article. A total of 115 articles from the AAOS website were included in the study and reviewed. Mean reading level was grade 9.1 for all articles reviewed. Nineteen articles (16.5%) were found to be at or below the eighth-grade level, and only 1 article was at or below the sixth-grade level. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between articles coauthored by the various orthopedic subspecialties and those authored exclusively by AAOS. Orthopedic trauma readability materials on the AAOS website appear to be written at a reading comprehension level too high for the average patient to understand.

Quality and readability assessment of websites related to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

PubMed

San Giorgi, Michel R M; de Groot, Olivier S D; Dikkers, Frederik G

2017-10-01

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare disease for which a limited number of information sources for patients exist. The role of the Internet in the patient-physician relationship is increasing. More and more patients search for online health information, which should be of good quality and easy readable. The study aim was to investigate the quality and readability of English online health information about RRP. Quality and readability assessment of online information. Relevant information was collected using three different search engines and seven different search terms. Quality was assessed with the DISCERN instrument. The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and average grade level (AGL) were determined to measure readability of the English websites. Fifty-one English websites were included. The mean DISCERN score of the websites is 28.1 ± 9.7 (poor quality); the mean FRES is 41.3 ± 14.9 (difficult to read); and the mean AGL is 12.6 ± 2.3. The quality and readability of English websites about RRP is alarmingly poor. NA. Laryngoscope, 127:2293-2297, 2017. © 2017 The Authors The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society Inc, “The Triological Society” and American Laryngological Association (ALA).

Readability of Healthcare Literature for Gastroparesis and Evaluation of Medical Terminology in Reading Difficulty.

PubMed

Meillier, Andrew; Patel, Shyam

2017-02-01

Gastroparesis is a chronic condition that can be further enhanced with patient understanding. Patients' education resources on the Internet have become increasingly important in improving healthcare literacy. We evaluated the readability of online resources for gastroparesis and the influence by medical terminology. Google searches were performed for "gastroparesis", "gastroparesis patient education material" and "gastroparesis patient information". Following, all medical terminology was determined if included on Taber's Medical Dictionary 22nd Edition. The medical terminology was replaced independently with "help" and "helping". Web resources were analyzed with the Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Solutions, Vandalia, OH) using 10 different readability scales. The average of the 26 patient education resources was 12.7 ± 1.8 grade levels. The edited "help" group had 6.6 ± 1.0 and "helping" group had 10.4 ± 2.1 reading levels. In comparing the three groups, the "help" and "helping" groups had significantly lower readability levels (P < 0.001). The "help" group was significantly less than the "helping" group (P < 0.001). The web resources for gastroparesis were higher than the recommended reading level by the American Medical Association. Medical terminology was shown to be the cause for this elevated readability level with all, but four resources within the recommended grade levels following word replacement.

Assessment of readability, understandability, and completeness of pediatric hospital medicine discharge instructions.

PubMed

Unaka, Ndidi I; Statile, Angela; Haney, Julianne; Beck, Andrew F; Brady, Patrick W; Jerardi, Karen E

2017-02-01

The average American adult reads at an 8th-grade level. Discharge instructions written above this level might increase the risk of adverse outcomes for children as they transition from hospital to home. We conducted a cross-sectional study at a large urban academic children's hospital to describe readability levels, understandability scores, and completeness of written instructions given to families at hospital discharge. Two hundred charts for patients discharged from the hospital medicine service were randomly selected for review. Written discharge instructions were extracted and scored for readability (Fry Readability Scale [FRS]), understandability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]), and completeness (5 criteria determined by consensus). Descriptive statistics enumerated the distribution of readability, understandability, and completeness of written discharge instructions. Of the patients included in the study, 51% were publicly insured. Median age was 3.1 years, and median length of stay was 2.0 days. The median readability score corresponded to a 10th-grade reading level (interquartile range, 8-12; range, 1-13). Median PEMAT score was 73% (interquartile range, 64%-82%; range, 45%-100%); 36% of instructions scored below 70%, correlating with suboptimal understandability. The diagnosis was described in only 33% of the instructions. Although explicit warning signs were listed in most instructions, 38% of the instructions did not include information on the person to contact if warning signs developed. Overall, the readability, understandability, and completeness of discharge instructions were subpar. Efforts to improve the content of discharge instructions may promote safe and effective transitions home. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:98-101. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine.

The Quality and Readability of Information Available on the Internet Regarding Lumbar Fusion

PubMed Central

Zhang, Dafang; Schumacher, Charles; Harris, Mitchel B.; Bono, Christopher M.

2015-01-01

Study Design An Internet-based evaluation of Web sites regarding lumbar fusion. Objective The Internet has become a major resource for patients; however, the quality and readability of Internet information regarding lumbar fusion is unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality and readability of Internet information regarding lumbar fusion and to determine whether these measures changed with Web site modality, complexity of the search term, or Health on the Net Code of Conduct certification. Methods Using five search engines and three different search terms of varying complexity (“low back fusion,” “lumbar fusion,” and “lumbar arthrodesis”), we identified and reviewed 153 unique Web site hits for information quality and readability. Web sites were specifically analyzed by search term and Web site modality. Information quality was evaluated on a 5-point scale. Information readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid score for reading grade level. Results The average quality score was low. The average reading grade level was nearly six grade levels above that recommended by National Work Group on Literacy and Health. The quality and readability of Internet information was significantly dependent on Web site modality. The use of more complex search terms yielded information of higher reading grade level but not higher quality. Conclusions Higher-quality information about lumbar fusion conveyed using language that is more readable by the general public is needed on the Internet. It is important for health care providers to be aware of the information accessible to patients, as it likely influences their decision making regarding care. PMID:26933614

Web-based information on the treatment of oral leukoplakia - quality and readability.

PubMed

Wiriyakijja, Paswach; Fedele, Stefano; Porter, Stephen; Ni Riordain, Richeal

2016-09-01

To categorise the content and assess the quality and readability of the online information regarding the treatment for oral leukoplakia. An online search using the term 'leukoplakia treatment' was carried out on 8th June 2015 using the Google search engine. The content, quality and readability of the first 100 sites were explored. The quality of the web information was assessed using the following tools, the DISCERN instrument and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks for website analysis and the HON seal. Readability was assessed via the Flesch Reading Ease Score. The search strategy generated 357 000 sites on the Google search engine. Due to duplicate links, non-operating links and irrelevant links, a total of 47 of the first 100 websites were included in this study. The mean overall rating achieved by included websites using the DISCERN instrument was 2.3. With regard to the JAMA benchmarks, the vast majority of examined websites (95.7%) completely fulfilled the disclosure benchmark and less than 50% of included websites met the three remaining criteria. A mean total readability score of 47.5 was recorded with almost 90% of websites having a readability level ranging from fairly difficult to very difficult. Based on this study, the online health information regarding oral leukoplakia has challenging readability with content of questionable accuracy. As patients often search for health information online, it would be prudent for clinicians to highlight the caution with which online information should be interpreted. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Quality and Readability of Information Available on the Internet Regarding Lumbar Fusion.

PubMed

Zhang, Dafang; Schumacher, Charles; Harris, Mitchel B; Bono, Christopher M

2016-03-01

Study Design An Internet-based evaluation of Web sites regarding lumbar fusion. Objective The Internet has become a major resource for patients; however, the quality and readability of Internet information regarding lumbar fusion is unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality and readability of Internet information regarding lumbar fusion and to determine whether these measures changed with Web site modality, complexity of the search term, or Health on the Net Code of Conduct certification. Methods Using five search engines and three different search terms of varying complexity ("low back fusion," "lumbar fusion," and "lumbar arthrodesis"), we identified and reviewed 153 unique Web site hits for information quality and readability. Web sites were specifically analyzed by search term and Web site modality. Information quality was evaluated on a 5-point scale. Information readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid score for reading grade level. Results The average quality score was low. The average reading grade level was nearly six grade levels above that recommended by National Work Group on Literacy and Health. The quality and readability of Internet information was significantly dependent on Web site modality. The use of more complex search terms yielded information of higher reading grade level but not higher quality. Conclusions Higher-quality information about lumbar fusion conveyed using language that is more readable by the general public is needed on the Internet. It is important for health care providers to be aware of the information accessible to patients, as it likely influences their decision making regarding care.

The Readability of AAOS Patient Education Materials: Evaluating the Progress Since 2008.

PubMed

Roberts, Heather; Zhang, Dafang; Dyer, George S M

2016-09-07

The Internet has become a major resource for patients; however, patient education materials are frequently written at relatively high levels of reading ability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of patient education materials on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) web site. Readability scores were calculated for all patient education articles on the AAOS web site using 5 algorithms: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) Grade, Coleman-Liau Index, and Gunning-Fog Index. The mean readability scores were compared across the anatomic categories to which they pertained. Using a liberal measure of readability, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, 3.9% of articles were written at or below the recommended sixth-grade reading level, and 84% of the articles were written above the eighth-grade reading level. Articles in the present study had a lower mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level than those available in 2008 (p < 0.00005). Articles categorized as "Hand & Wrist" or "Foot & Ankle" had significantly lower mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores than the mean for all categories (p < 0.0005). Regardless of the algorithm used, the mean readability levels of AAOS articles are higher than generally recommended. Although the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was lower in the present study than it was in 2008, a need remains to improve the readability of AAOS patient education articles. Ensuring that online patient education materials are written at an appropriate reading grade level would be expected to improve physician-patient communication. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

The quality and readability of online consumer information about gynecologic cancer.

PubMed

Sobota, Aleksandra; Ozakinci, Gozde

2015-03-01

The Internet has become an important source of health-related information for consumers, among whom younger women constitute a notable group. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the quality and readability of online information about gynecologic cancer using validated instruments and (2) to relate the quality of information to its readability. Using the Alexa Rank, we obtained a list of 35 Web pages providing information about 7 gynecologic malignancies. These were assessed using the Health on the Net (HON) seal of approval, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and the DISCERN instrument. Flesch readability score was calculated for sections related to symptoms and signs and treatment. Less than 30% of the Web pages displayed the HON seal or achieved all JAMA benchmarks. The majority of the treatment sections were of moderate to high quality according to the DISCERN. There was no significant relationship between the presence of the HON seal and readability. Web pages achieving all JAMA benchmarks were significantly more difficult to read and understand than Web pages that missed any of the JAMA benchmarks. Treatment-related content of moderate to high quality as assessed by the DISCERN had a significantly better readability score than the low-quality content. The online information about gynecologic cancer provided by the most frequently visited Web pages is of variable quality and in general difficult to read and understand. The relationship between the quality and readability remains unclear. Health care providers should direct their patients to reliable material online because patients consider the Internet as an important source of information.

Most American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' online patient education material exceeds average patient reading level.

PubMed

Eltorai, Adam E M; Sharma, Pranav; Wang, Jing; Daniels, Alan H

2015-04-01

Advancing health literacy has the potential to improve patient outcomes. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) online patient education materials serve as a tool to improve health literacy for orthopaedic patients; however, it is unknown whether the materials currently meet the National Institutes of Health/American Medical Association's recommended sixth grade readability guidelines for health information or the mean US adult reading level of eighth grade. The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the mean grade level readability of online AAOS patient education materials; and (2) to determine what proportion of the online materials exceeded recommended (sixth grade) and mean US (eighth grade) reading level. Reading grade levels for 99.6% (260 of 261) of the online patient education entries from the AAOS were analyzed using the Flesch-Kincaid formula built into Microsoft Word software. Mean grade level readability of the AAOS patient education materials was 9.2 (SD ± 1.6). Two hundred fifty-one of the 260 articles (97%) had a readability score above the sixth grade level. The readability of the AAOS articles exceeded the sixth grade level by an average of 3.2 grade levels. Of the 260 articles, 210 (81%) had a readability score above the eighth grade level, which is the average reading level of US adults. Most of the online patient education materials from the AAOS had readability levels that are far too advanced for many patients to comprehend. Efforts to adjust the readability of online education materials to the needs of the audience may improve the health literacy of orthopaedic patients. Patient education materials can be made more comprehensible through use of simpler terms, shorter sentences, and the addition of pictures. More broadly, all health websites, not just those of the AAOS, should aspire to be comprehensible to the typical reader.

Inflammatory bowel disease: An evaluation of health information on the internet.

PubMed

Azer, Samy A; AlOlayan, Thekra I; AlGhamdi, Malak A; AlSanea, Malak A

2017-03-07

To evaluate the quality and accuracy of websites written to the public on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and assess their readability level. Google™, Bing™, and Yahoo™ search engines were searched independently by three researchers in December 2014. Only English-language websites were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Researchers independently evaluated the quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the HONcode instruments. The readability levels were calculated using two formulas; the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The agreement between the evaluators was calculated using Cohen kappa coefficient. Eighty-four websites were finally identified. Scores varied from a minimum DISCERN score of 18 to a maximum of 68 [mean ± SD, 42.2 ± 10.7; median = 41.5, interquartile range, interquartile range (IQR) = 15.8] and a minimum score of HONcode of 0.14 and a maximum of 0.95 (mean ± SD, 0.16 ± 0.19; median = 0.45, IQR = 0.29). Most of these websites were reviewed in 2014 and 2015 ( n = 51). The creators of these websites were: universities and research centers ( n = 25, 30%), foundations and associations ( n = 15, 18%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies ( n = 25, 30%), charities and volunteer work ( n = 9, 10%), and non-university educational bodies ( n = 10, 12%). The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability score (mean ± SD) was 11.9 ± 2.4 and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index score was 12.6 ± 1.5. Significant correlation was found between the two readability scores (R 2 = 0.509, P = 0.001). The overall agreement between evaluators measured by Cohen kappa coefficient was in the range of 0.804-0.876; rated as "Good". The DISCERN and the HONcode scores of websites varied and the readability levels of most websites were above the public readability level. The study highlights the areas that need further improvement and development in patient education online materials about IBD.

Assessing the Readability of Online Information About Hip Arthroscopy.

PubMed

Mehta, Manish P; Swindell, Hasani W; Westermann, Robert W; Rosneck, James T; Lynch, T Sean

2018-04-06

To investigate the current readability of online information pertaining to hip arthroscopy. The terms "hip arthroscopy" and "hip scope" were entered into the advanced search functions of Google, Yahoo!, and Bing on March 25, 2017, and results from the first 3 pages were analyzed. Results were required to be unique, accessible websites with information about hip arthroscopy conveyed primarily via analyzable text. Two reviewers applied inclusion criteria to the initial 97 results, discussing to reach consensus in cases of disagreement. Overall, 60 unique results were reviewed with 48 meeting inclusion criteria. Websites were categorized as physician-sponsored, academic, commercial, governmental and nonprofit organization (NPO), or unspecified. Readability was measured via 6 different indices: the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Gunning Fog Score, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index (CLI), and Automated Readability Index (ARI) along with an average grade level and readability classification score. Forty-eight unique websites were assessed for readability, with physician-sponsored webpages composing the majority (47.92%) followed by academic sources (35.42%). The webpages' average grade level, incorporating information from all 6 metrics, was 12.79 ± 1.98. The current readability of online information pertaining to hip arthroscopy is at an inappropriately high reading level compared with the sixth-grade level recommended by the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health, thus introducing significant barriers to understanding for many patients. Online materials should be edited to reduce word and sentence length and complexity, use simpler terms, and minimize use of passive voice to facilitate patient knowledge acquisition and understanding of online information about hip arthroscopy. This study shows that the current readability of online information on hip arthroscopy exceeds the suggested sixth-grade reading level. It also emphasizes the need for simplifying written materials and offers specific suggestions on doing so to increase accessibility of information for patients. Copyright © 2018 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Online Patient Education Readability for Spine Surgery Procedures.

PubMed

Long, William W; Modi, Krishna D; Haws, Brittany E; Khechen, Benjamin; Massel, Dustin H; Mayo, Benjamin C; Singh, Kern

2018-03-01

Increased patient reliance on Internet-based health information has amplified the need for comprehensible online patient education articles. As suggested by the American Medical Association and National Institute of Health, spine fusion articles should be written for a 4th-6th-grade reading level to increase patient comprehension, which may improve postoperative outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine the readability of online health care education information relating to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and lumbar fusion procedures. Online health-education resource qualitative analysis. Three search engines were utilized to access patient education articles for common cervical and lumbar spine procedures. Relevant articles were analyzed for readability using Readability Studio Professional Edition software (Oleander Software Ltd). Articles were stratified by organization type as follows: General Medical Websites (GMW), Healthcare Network/Academic Institutions (HNAI), and Private Practices (PP). Thirteen common readability tests were performed with the mean readability of each compared between subgroups using analysis of variance. ACDF and lumbar fusion articles were determined to have a mean readability of 10.7±1.5 and 11.3±1.6, respectively. GMW, HNAI, and PP subgroups had a mean readability of 10.9±2.9, 10.7±2.8, and 10.7±2.5 for ACDF and 10.9±3.0, 10.8±2.9, and 11.6±2.7 for lumbar fusion articles. Of 310 total articles, only 6 (3 ACDF and 3 lumbar fusion) were written for comprehension below a 7th-grade reading level. Current online literature from medical websites containing information regarding ACDF and lumbar fusion procedures are written at a grade level higher than the suggested guidelines. Therefore, current patient education articles should be revised to accommodate the average reading level in the United States and may result in improved patient comprehension and postoperative outcomes.

The readability of psychosocial wellness patient resources: improving surgical outcomes.

PubMed

Kugar, Meredith A; Cohen, Adam C; Wooden, William; Tholpady, Sunil S; Chu, Michael W

2017-10-01

Patient education is increasingly accessed with online resources and is essential for patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. The average American adult reads at a seventh grade level, and the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association (AMA) recommend that information be written at a sixth-grade reading level. Health literacy plays an important role in the disease course and outcomes of all patients, including those with depression and likely other psychiatric disorders, although this is an area in need of further study. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze written, online mental health resources on the Veterans Health Administration (VA) website, and other websites, using readability assessment instruments. An internet search was performed to identify written patient education information regarding mental health from the VA (the VA Mental Health Website) and top-rated psychiatric hospitals. Seven mental health topics were included in the analysis: generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and suicide. Readability analyses were performed using the Gunning Fog Index, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the Coleman-Liau Index, the SMOG Readability Formula, and the Automated Readability Index. These scores were then combined into a Readability Consensus score. A two-tailed t-test was used to compare the mean values, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Twelve of the best hospitals for psychiatry 2016-2017 were identified. Nine had educational material. Six of the nine cited the same resource, The StayWell Company, LLC (StayWell Company, LLC; Yardley, PA), for at least one of the mental health topics analyzed. The VA mental health website (http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov) had a significantly higher readability consensus than six of the top psychiatric hospitals (P < 0.05, P = 0.0067, P = 0.019, P = 0.041, P = 0.0093, P = 0.0054, and P = 0.0093). The overall average readability consensus for mental health information on all websites analyzed was 9.52. Online resources for mental health disorders are more complex than recommended by the NIH and AMA. Efforts to improve readability of mental health and psychosocial wellness resources could benefit patient understanding and outcomes, especially in patients with lower literacy. Surgical outcomes are correlated with patient mental health and psychosocial wellness and thus can be improved with more appropriate levels of readability of psychosocial wellness resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Evaluation of High School Geography 9 and High School Geography 11 Text Books with Some Formulas of Readability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gecit, Yilmaz

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate readability of 9th and 11th grade geography text-books currently used in schools. As known, one of the most fundamental features in a text-book is the readability of the text by students. In addition, it is also very important that the fluency and suitability of books match age level. In this study, the…

Towards understanding the variability in biospheric CO2 fluxes: using FTIR spectrometry and a chemical transport model to investigate the sources and sinks of carbonyl sulfide and its link to CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuting; Deutscher, Nicholas M.; Palm, Mathias; Warneke, Thorsten; Notholt, Justus; Baker, Ian; Berry, Joe; Suntharalingam, Parvadha; Jones, Nicholas; Mahieu, Emmanuel; Lejeune, Bernard; Hannigan, James; Conway, Stephanie; Mendonca, Joseph; Strong, Kimberly; Campbell, J. Elliott; Wolf, Adam; Kremser, Stefanie

2016-02-01

Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) biospheric processes is of great importance because the terrestrial exchange drives the seasonal and interannual variability of CO2 in the atmosphere. Atmospheric inversions based on CO2 concentration measurements alone can only determine net biosphere fluxes, but not differentiate between photosynthesis (uptake) and respiration (production). Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) could provide an important additional constraint: it is also taken up by plants during photosynthesis but not emitted during respiration, and therefore is a potential means to differentiate between these processes. Solar absorption Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry allows for the retrievals of the atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and OCS from measured solar absorption spectra. Here, we investigate co-located and quasi-simultaneous FTIR measurements of OCS and CO2 performed at five selected sites located in the Northern Hemisphere. These measurements are compared to simulations of OCS and CO2 using a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). The coupled biospheric fluxes of OCS and CO2 from the simple biosphere model (SiB) are used in the study. The CO2 simulation with SiB fluxes agrees with the measurements well, while the OCS simulation reproduced a weaker drawdown than FTIR measurements at selected sites, and a smaller latitudinal gradient in the Northern Hemisphere during growing season when comparing with HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations) data spanning both hemispheres. An offset in the timing of the seasonal cycle minimum between SiB simulation and measurements is also seen. Using OCS as a photosynthesis proxy can help to understand how the biospheric processes are reproduced in models and to further understand the carbon cycle in the real world.

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

2017-03-02

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients' comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople's perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas' appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople's perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. The distributions of both readability formulas' scores (P<.001) and laypeople's perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople's perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (P<.001). Word usage in the 2 related genres still differed significantly (P<.001). Our findings suggested that the readability formulas' predictions did not align with perceived difficulty in either text genre. The widely used readability formulas were highly correlated with each other but did not show adequate correlation with readers' perceived difficulty. Therefore, they were not appropriate to assess the readability of EHR notes. ©Jiaping Zheng, Hong Yu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.03.2017.

Readability of patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America web sites.

PubMed

Badarudeen, Sameer; Sabharwal, Sanjeev

2008-01-01

While experts recommend that the readability of patient education materials should be less than the sixth grade level, the available information pertaining to orthopaedic diseases may be excessively complex for some to read and comprehend. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is the most widely used tool to evaluate the readability score of a given text, with a lower grade level suggesting easier readability. The goal of our study was to assess the readability of pediatric orthopaedic patient education materials that were developed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and were accessible to the general public through the Internet. All articles from the "Children" section of the patient education library, "Your Orthopaedic Connection," on the AAOS web site and the "Parent/Patient" section on the POSNA web site were identified. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level of each article was determined with use of Microsoft Office Word software. The mean grade levels of articles that were available in 2001 were compared with those accessible in 2007. Fifty-seven unique articles were available in 2007 on both web sites compared with twenty-five articles available in 2001. The readability score of only one (2%) of the currently available articles was less than sixth grade level. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the currently available articles was 8.9 compared with 8.7 for the articles available in 2001 (p = 0.71). Our findings suggest that most of the pediatric orthopaedic patient education materials available on the AAOS and POSNA web sites have readability scores that may be too high, making comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the United States population.

Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in China

PubMed Central

Wen, Gaiyan; Liu, Xinchun; Huang, Lihua; Shu, Jingxian; Xu, Nana; Chen, Ruifang; Huang, Zhijun; Yang, Guoping; Wang, Xiaomin; Xiang, Yuxia; Lu, Yao; Yuan, Hong

2016-01-01

Purpose To explore the readability and content integrity of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in China and to compare the quality of Chinese local ICFs with that of international ICFs. Methods The length, readability and content of 155 consent documents from phase II-IV drug clinical trials from the Third Xiangya Hospital Ethics Committee from November 2009 to January 2015 were evaluated. Reading difficulty was tested using a readability formula adapted for the Chinese language. An ICF checklist containing 27 required elements was successfully constructed to evaluate content integrity. The description of alternatives to participation was assessed. The quality of ICFs from different sponsorships were also compared. Results Among the 155 evaluable trials, the ICFs had a median length of 5286 words, corresponding to 7 pages. The median readability score was 4.31 (4.02–4.41), with 63.9% at the 2nd level and 36.1% at the 3rd level. Five of the 27 elements were frequently neglected. The average score for the description of alternatives to participation was 1.06, and 27.7% of the ICFs did not mention any alternatives. Compared with Chinese local ICFs, international ICFs were longer, more readable and contained more of the required elements (P < 0.05). Conclusion The ICFs used in China were difficult to read for most participants. These forms had poor description of alternatives to participation, and failed to provide a high degree of information disclosure, including an explanation of informed consent, follow-up processing of the data/sample, inclusion/exclusion criteria, double blinding, and unpredictable risks. International ICFs had better readability and content integrity than Chinese local ICFs. More efforts should thus be made to improve the quality of consent documents in China. PMID:27701471

Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in China.

PubMed

Wen, Gaiyan; Liu, Xinchun; Huang, Lihua; Shu, Jingxian; Xu, Nana; Chen, Ruifang; Huang, Zhijun; Yang, Guoping; Wang, Xiaomin; Xiang, Yuxia; Lu, Yao; Yuan, Hong

2016-01-01

To explore the readability and content integrity of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in China and to compare the quality of Chinese local ICFs with that of international ICFs. The length, readability and content of 155 consent documents from phase II-IV drug clinical trials from the Third Xiangya Hospital Ethics Committee from November 2009 to January 2015 were evaluated. Reading difficulty was tested using a readability formula adapted for the Chinese language. An ICF checklist containing 27 required elements was successfully constructed to evaluate content integrity. The description of alternatives to participation was assessed. The quality of ICFs from different sponsorships were also compared. Among the 155 evaluable trials, the ICFs had a median length of 5286 words, corresponding to 7 pages. The median readability score was 4.31 (4.02-4.41), with 63.9% at the 2nd level and 36.1% at the 3rd level. Five of the 27 elements were frequently neglected. The average score for the description of alternatives to participation was 1.06, and 27.7% of the ICFs did not mention any alternatives. Compared with Chinese local ICFs, international ICFs were longer, more readable and contained more of the required elements (P < 0.05). The ICFs used in China were difficult to read for most participants. These forms had poor description of alternatives to participation, and failed to provide a high degree of information disclosure, including an explanation of informed consent, follow-up processing of the data/sample, inclusion/exclusion criteria, double blinding, and unpredictable risks. International ICFs had better readability and content integrity than Chinese local ICFs. More efforts should thus be made to improve the quality of consent documents in China.

Readability of spine-related patient education materials from subspecialty organization and spine practitioner websites.

PubMed

Vives, Michael; Young, Lyle; Sabharwal, Sanjeev

2009-12-01

Analysis of spine-related websites available to the general public. To assess the readability of spine-related patient educational materials available on professional society and individual surgeon or practice based websites. The Internet has become a valuable source of patient education material. A significant percentage of patients, however, find this Internet based information confusing. Healthcare experts recommend that the readability of patient education material be less than the sixth grade level. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is the most widely used method to evaluate the readability score of textual material, with lower scores suggesting easier readability. We conducted an Internet search of all patient education documents on the North American Spine Society (NASS), American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and a sample of 10 individual surgeon or practice based websites. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level of each article was calculated using widely available Microsoft Office Word software. The mean grade level of articles on the various professional society and individual/practice based websites were compared. A total of 121 articles from the various websites were available and analyzed. All 4 categories of websites had mean Flesch-Kincaid grade levels greater than 10. Only 3 articles (2.5%) were found to be at or below the sixth grade level, the recommended readability level for adult patients in the United States. There were no significant differences among the mean Flesch-Kincaid grade levels from the AAOS, NASS, AANS, and practice-based web-sites (P = 0.065, ANOVA). Our findings suggest that most of the Spine-related patient education materials on professional society and practice-based websites have readability scores that may be too high, making comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the United States adult population.

The Readability of Electronic Cigarette Health Information and Advice: A Quantitative Analysis of Web-Based Information.

PubMed

Park, Albert; Zhu, Shu-Hong; Conway, Mike

2017-01-06

The popularity and use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased across all demographic groups in recent years. However, little is currently known about the readability of health information and advice aimed at the general public regarding the use of e-cigarettes. The objective of our study was to examine the readability of publicly available health information as well as advice on e-cigarettes. We compared information and advice available from US government agencies, nongovernment organizations, English speaking government agencies outside the United States, and for-profit entities. A systematic search for health information and advice on e-cigarettes was conducted using search engines. We manually verified search results and converted to plain text for analysis. We then assessed readability of the collected documents using 4 readability metrics followed by pairwise comparisons of groups with adjustment for multiple comparisons. A total of 54 documents were collected for this study. All 4 readability metrics indicate that all information and advice on e-cigarette use is written at a level higher than that recommended for the general public by National Institutes of Health (NIH) communication guidelines. However, health information and advice written by for-profit entities, many of which were promoting e-cigarettes, were significantly easier to read. A substantial proportion of potential and current e-cigarette users are likely to have difficulty in fully comprehending Web-based health information regarding e-cigarettes, potentially hindering effective health-seeking behaviors. To comply with NIH communication guidelines, government entities and nongovernment organizations would benefit from improving the readability of e-cigarettes information and advice. ©Albert Park, Shu-Hong Zhu, Mike Conway. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.01.2017.

Readability assessment of Internet-based patient education materials related to endoscopic sinus surgery.

PubMed

Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Choudhry, Osamah J; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2012-08-01

Numerous professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals provide Internet-based patient education materials (PEMs) to the general public, but not all of this information is written at a reading level appropriate for the average patient. The National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that PEMs be written at or below the sixth-grade level. Our purpose was to assess the readability of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)-related PEMs available on the Internet and compare readability levels of PEMs provided by three sources: professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals. A descriptive and correlational design was used for this study. The readability of 31 ESS-related PEMs was assessed with four different readability indices: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG). Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance and t tests. The majority of PEMs (96.8%) were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level, based on FKGL (P < .001). Only one article (3.2%) had an FKGL at or below the sixth-grade level. The mean readability values were: FRES 47.1 ± 13.4, FKGL 10.7 ± 2.4, SMOG 13.7 ± 1.6, and Gunning FOG 12.4 ± 2.7. Current Internet-based PEMs related to ESS, regardless of source type, were written well above the recommended sixth-grade level. Materials from the hospitals/university-affiliated websites had lower readability scores, but were still above recommended levels. Web-based PEMs pertaining to ESS should be written with the average patient in mind. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Henry Draper Catalogue (edition 1985)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roman, N. G.; Warren, W. H., Jr.

1985-01-01

An updated, corrected and extended machine-readable version of the catalog is described. Published and unpublished errors discovered in the previous version was corrected; letters indicating supplemental stars in the BD have been moved to a new byte to distinguish them from double-star components; and the machine readable portion of The Henry Draper Extension (HDE) (HA 100) was converted to the same format as the main catalog, with additional data added as necessary.

A readability assessment of online stroke information.

PubMed

Sharma, Nikhil; Tridimas, Andreas; Fitzsimmons, Paul R

2014-07-01

Patients and carers increasingly access the Internet as a source of health information. Poor health literacy is extremely common and frequently limits patient's comprehension of health care information literature. We aimed to assess the readability of online consumer-orientated stroke information using 2 validated readability measures. The 100 highest Google ranked consumer-oriented stroke Web pages were assessed for reading difficulty using the Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formulae. None of the included Web pages complied with the current readability guidelines when readability was measured using the gold standard SMOG formula. Mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 10.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.97-10.9) and mean SMOG grade 12.1 (95% CI 11.7-12.4). Over half of the Web pages were produced at graduate reading levels or above. Not-for-profit Web pages were significantly easier to read (P=.0006). The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimated reading difficulty, with a mean underestimation of 1.65 grades (95% CI 1.49-1.81), P<.0001. Most consumer-orientated stroke information Web sites require major text revision to comply with readability guidelines and to be comprehensible to the average patient. The Flesch-Kincaid formula significantly underestimates reading difficulty, and SMOG should be used as the measure of choice. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Hygienic Assesment of Educational Texts: Methodical Approaches and Evaluation of Difficulties for Children of Secondary Textbooks].

PubMed

Kuchma, V R; Tkachuk, E A

2015-01-01

The understandability and readability of the text are significant indicators of evaluation of textbooks. The aim of the study - rationale of improving the readability and understandability of textbooks. 60 modern textbooks for 5-11th classes on History, Physics, Biology and 23 textbooks of 1960-1980's edition. Flesch index was used to assess the readability, Fogh index - to evaluate understandability. The readability and understandability of texts in textbooks of 1960-1980's and modern editions have no differences and show the same complexity of old and modern textbooks for students. The indicator of understandability of textbooks for primary classes corresponds to age norm and is 4.4±0.2 points. The indicator of readability for these books is less age norm and is 53.8±2.9 points, which increases the physiological cost of educational activities of children of primary school age. Children's readability and understandability of school textbooks are a significant factor of intensity of training activities and can be objectively assessed by Flesch and Fogh indices, that it is appropriate for an objective hygienic assessment of the tension of the educational activities for children. The main direction of optimization of the tension of educational activity is to reduce the intellectual and emotional loads in children by increasing the easiness of reading textbooks due to their compliance with the age peculiarities of students.

Readability of Self-Report Alcohol Misuse Measures

PubMed Central

McHugh, R Kathryn; Sugarman, Dawn E; Kaufman, Julia S; Park, Sara; Weiss, Roger D; Greenfield, Shelly F

2014-01-01

Objective: Self-report measures of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorders are valuable assessment tools for both research and clinical practice settings. However, readability is often overlooked when establishing the validity of these measures, which may result in measures written at a reading-grade level that is higher than the ability level of many potential respondents. The aim of the current study was to estimate the reading-grade level of validated measures of alcohol misuse and associated problems. Method: A total of 45 measures were identified, and reading-grade level was calculated using three validated readability formulas. Results: The majority of measures were written above the recommended reading-grade level for patient materials (5th–6th grade), with particularly poor readability for measure instructions. Conclusions: Given that many self-report alcohol misuse measures are written at a high reading-grade level, the consideration of readability is important when selecting measures for use in research and practice settings. Moreover, the development or modification of measures to target low-literacy populations may facilitate the broader applicability of these instruments. PMID:24650827

Multiple Point Dynamic Gas Density Measurements Using Molecular Rayleigh Scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seasholtz, Richard; Panda, Jayanta

1999-01-01

A nonintrusive technique for measuring dynamic gas density properties is described. Molecular Rayleigh scattering is used to measure the time-history of gas density simultaneously at eight spatial locations at a 50 kHz sampling rate. The data are analyzed using the Welch method of modified periodograms to reduce measurement uncertainty. Cross-correlations, power spectral density functions, cross-spectral density functions, and coherence functions may be obtained from the data. The technique is demonstrated using low speed co-flowing jets with a heated inner jet.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jatana, Gurneesh; Geckler, Sam; Koeberlein, David

We designed and developed a 4-probe multiplexed multi-species absorption spectroscopy sensor system for gas property measurements on the intake side of commercial multi-cylinder internal-combustion (I.C.) engines; the resulting cycle- and cylinder-resolved concentration, temperature and pressure measurements are applicable for assessing spatial and temporal variations in the recirculated exhaust gas (EGR) distribution at various locations along the intake gas path, which in turn is relevant to assessing cylinder charge uniformity, control strategies, and CFD models. Furthermore, the diagnostic is based on absorption spectroscopy and includes an H 2O absorption system (utilizing a 1.39 m distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser) for measuringmore » gas temperature, pressure, and H 2O concentration, and a CO 2 absorption system (utilizing a 2.7 m DFB laser) for measuring CO 2 concentration. The various lasers, optical components and detectors were housed in an instrument box, and the 1.39- m and 2.7- m lasers were guided to and from the engine-mounted probes via optical fibers and hollow waveguides, respectively. The 5kHz measurement bandwidth allows for near-crank angle resolved measurements, with a resolution of 1.2 crank angle degrees at 1000 RPM. Our use of compact stainless steel measurement probes enables simultaneous multi-point measurements at various locations on the engine with minimal changes to the base engine hardware; in addition to resolving large-scale spatial variations via simultaneous multi-probe measurements, local spatial gradients can be resolved by translating individual probes. Along with details of various sensor design features and performance, we also demonstrate validation of the spectral parameters of the associated CO 2 absorption transitions using both a multi-pass heated cell and the sensor probes.« less

GOES satellite time code dissemination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beehler, R. E.

1983-01-01

The GOES time code system, the performance achieved to date, and some potential improvements in the future are discussed. The disseminated time code is originated from a triply redundant set of atomic standards, time code generators and related equipment maintained by NBS at NOAA's Wallops Island, VA satellite control facility. It is relayed by two GOES satellites located at 75 W and 135 W longitude on a continuous basis to users within North and South America (with overlapping coverage) and well out into the Atlantic and Pacific ocean areas. Downlink frequencies are near 468 MHz. The signals from both satellites are monitored and controlled from the NBS labs at Boulder, CO with additional monitoring input from geographically separated receivers in Washington, D.C. and Hawaii. Performance experience with the received time codes for periods ranging from several years to one day is discussed. Results are also presented for simultaneous, common-view reception by co-located receivers and by receivers separated by several thousand kilometers.

A search for ultraviolet-excess objects (Kondo, Noguchi, and Maehara 1984): Documentation for the machine-readable version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Wayne H., Jr.

1990-01-01

A list of 1186 ultraviolet-excess objects (designated KUV) was compiled as a result of a search conducted with the 105-cm Schmidt telescope of the Kiso station of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory. This document describes the machine readable version of the KUV survey list and presents a sample listing showing the logical records as they are recorded in the machine readable catalog. The KUV data include equatorial coordinates, magnitudes, color indices, and identifications for previously cataloged objects.

System, method and computer-readable medium for locating physical phenomena

DOEpatents

Weseman, Matthew T [Idaho Falls, ID; Rohrbaugh, David T [Idaho Falls, ID; Richardson, John G [Idaho Falls, ID

2008-02-26

A method, system and computer product for detecting the location of a deformation of a structure includes baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure. Each of the plurality of conductors includes a plurality of segments coupled in series and having an associated unit value representative of the defined energy transmitting characteristic. The plurality of laterally adjacent conductors includes a plurality of identity groups with each identity group including at least one of the plurality of segments from each of the plurality of conductors. Each of the plurality of conductors are monitored for a difference in the defined energy transmitting characteristic when compared with a baseline energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of conductors. When the difference exceeds a threshold value, a location of the deformation along the structure is calculated.

Inflammatory bowel disease: An evaluation of health information on the internet

PubMed Central

Azer, Samy A; AlOlayan, Thekra I; AlGhamdi, Malak A; AlSanea, Malak A

2017-01-01

AIM To evaluate the quality and accuracy of websites written to the public on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and assess their readability level. METHODS Google™, Bing™, and Yahoo™ search engines were searched independently by three researchers in December 2014. Only English-language websites were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Researchers independently evaluated the quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the HONcode instruments. The readability levels were calculated using two formulas; the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The agreement between the evaluators was calculated using Cohen kappa coefficient. RESULTS Eighty-four websites were finally identified. Scores varied from a minimum DISCERN score of 18 to a maximum of 68 [mean ± SD, 42.2 ± 10.7; median = 41.5, interquartile range, interquartile range (IQR) = 15.8] and a minimum score of HONcode of 0.14 and a maximum of 0.95 (mean ± SD, 0.16 ± 0.19; median = 0.45, IQR = 0.29). Most of these websites were reviewed in 2014 and 2015 (n = 51). The creators of these websites were: universities and research centers (n = 25, 30%), foundations and associations (n = 15, 18%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies (n = 25, 30%), charities and volunteer work (n = 9, 10%), and non-university educational bodies (n = 10, 12%). The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability score (mean ± SD) was 11.9 ± 2.4 and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index score was 12.6 ± 1.5. Significant correlation was found between the two readability scores (R2 = 0.509, P = 0.001). The overall agreement between evaluators measured by Cohen kappa coefficient was in the range of 0.804-0.876; rated as "Good". CONCLUSION The DISCERN and the HONcode scores of websites varied and the readability levels of most websites were above the public readability level. The study highlights the areas that need further improvement and development in patient education online materials about IBD. PMID:28321169

Accuracy and Readability of Websites on Kidney and Bladder Cancers.

PubMed

Azer, Samy A; Alghofaili, Maha M; Alsultan, Rana M; Alrumaih, Najla S

2017-03-09

The aim of this study was to assess the scientific accuracy and the readability level of websites on kidney and bladder cancers. The search engines Google™, Yahoo™ and Bing™ were searched independently by assessors in November 2014 using the following keywords: "bladder cancer", "kidney cancer", "patient bladder cancer", "patient kidney cancer" and "bladder and kidney cancer". Only English-language websites were selected on the bases of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Assessors independently reviewed the findings and evaluated the accuracy and quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the LIDA instruments. The readability of the websites was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. Sixty-two websites were finally included in the study. The overall accuracy scores varied; for the DISCERN, the range was 28 to 76; out of 80 (mean ± SD, 47.1 ± 12.1; median = 46.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 19.2), and for the LIDA, the range was 52 to 125; out of 144 (mean ± SD, 101.9 ± 15.2; median, 103; IQR, 16.5). The creators of these websites were universities and research centres (n = 25, 40%), foundations and associations (n = 10, 16%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies (n = 13, 21%), charities and volunteer work (n = 4, 6%) and non-university educational bodies (n = 10, 16%). The readability scores (mean ± SD) were 11.2 ± 2.2 for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index and 11.2 ± 1.6 for the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The accuracy and the quality of the websites on kidney and bladder cancers varied. In most websites, there were deficiencies in clarity of aims, presenting symptoms, investigations and treatment options. The readability matched grades 10-11 literacy levels-a level above the public readability level. The study highlights the needs for further improvement of the online information created for public and patients with kidney and bladder cancers.

7 CFR 1710.205 - Minimum approval requirements for all load forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... electronically to RUS computer software applications. RUS will evaluate borrower load forecasts for readability...'s engineering planning documents, such as the construction work plan, incorporate consumer and usage...

7 CFR 1710.205 - Minimum approval requirements for all load forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... electronically to RUS computer software applications. RUS will evaluate borrower load forecasts for readability...'s engineering planning documents, such as the construction work plan, incorporate consumer and usage...

7 CFR 1710.205 - Minimum approval requirements for all load forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... electronically to RUS computer software applications. RUS will evaluate borrower load forecasts for readability...'s engineering planning documents, such as the construction work plan, incorporate consumer and usage...

Indian Ocean radiocarbon: Data from the INDIGO 1, 2, and 3 cruises

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sepanski, R.J.

1991-01-01

This document presents {sup 14}C activities (expressed in the internationally adopted {Delta}{sup 14}C scale) from water samples taken at various locations and depths in the Indian and Southern oceans through the Indien Gaz Ocean (INDIGO) project. These data were collected as part of the INDIGO 1, INDIGO 2, and INDIGO 3 cruises, which took place during the years 1985, 1986, and 1987, respectively. These data have been used to estimate the penetration of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} in the Indian and Southern oceans. The document also presents supporting data for potential temperature, salinity, density (sigma-theta), {delta}{sup 13}C, and total CO{sub 2}.more » All radiocarbon measurements have been examined statistically for quality of sample counts and stability of counting efficiency and background. In addition, all data have been reviewed by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and assessed for gross accuracy and consistency (absence of obvious outliers and other anomalous values). These data are available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. The NDP consists of this document and a magnetic tape containing machine-readable files. This document provides sample listing of the Indian Ocean radiocarbon data as they appear on the magnetic tape, as well as a complete listing of these data in tabular form. This document also offers retrieval program listings, furnishes information on sampling methods and data selection, defines limitations and restrictions of the data, and provides reprints of pertinent literature. 13 refs., 4 tabs.« less

Uppercase and lowercase computer printout increases readability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hand, W. W.; Jonsberg, M. B.

1965-01-01

Print chain of 120 characters facilitates production of computer printout in both uppercase and lowercase characters. Although the output speed is reduced, the use of the print chain increases the computer printout readability.

ELLERMAN BOMBS AT HIGH RESOLUTION. III. SIMULTANEOUS OBSERVATIONS WITH IRIS AND SST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vissers, G. J. M.; Voort, L. H. M. Rouppe van der; Rutten, R. J.

Ellerman bombs (EBs) are transient brightenings of the extended wings of the solar Balmer lines in emerging active regions. We describe their properties in the ultraviolet lines sampled by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), using simultaneous imaging spectroscopy in Hα with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) and ultraviolet images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory for Ellerman bomb detection and identification. We select multiple co-observed EBs for detailed analysis. The IRIS spectra strengthen the view that EBs mark reconnection between bipolar kilogauss fluxtubes with the reconnection and the resulting bi-directional jet located within the solar photosphere and shielded bymore » overlying chromospheric fibrils in the cores of strong lines. The spectra suggest that the reconnecting photospheric gas underneath is heated sufficiently to momentarily reach stages of ionization normally assigned to the transition region and the corona. We also analyze similar outburst phenomena that we classify as small flaring arch filaments and ascribe to reconnection at a higher location. They have different morphologies and produce hot arches in million-Kelvin diagnostics.« less

A text comprehension approach to questionnaire readability: An example using gambling disorder measures.

PubMed

Peter, Samuel C; Whelan, James P; Pfund, Rory A; Meyers, Andrew W

2018-06-14

Although readability has been traditionally operationalized and even become synonymous with the concept of word and sentence length, modern text analysis theory and technology have shifted toward multidimensional comprehension-based analytic techniques. In an effort to make use of these advancements and demonstrate their general utility, 6 commonly used measures of gambling disorder were submitted to readability analyses using 2 of these advanced approaches, Coh-Metrix and Question Understanding Aid (QUAID), and one traditional approach, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. As hypothesized, significant variation was found across measures, with some questionnaires emerging as more appropriate than others for use in samples that may include individuals with low literacy. Recommendations are made for the use of these modern approaches to readability to inform decisions on measure selection and development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Readability of Patient Education Materials From the Web Sites of Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers.

PubMed

Yi, Meghan M; Yi, Paul H; Hussein, Khalil I; Cross, Michael B; Della Valle, Craig J

2017-12-01

Prior studies indicate that orthopedic patient education materials are written at a level that is too high for the average patient. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials provided by orthopedic implant manufacturers. All patient education articles available in 2013 from the web sites of the 5 largest orthopedic implant manufacturers were identified. Each article was evaluated with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. The number of articles with readability ≤ the eighth-grade level (average reading ability of US adults) and the sixth-grade level (recommended level for patient education materials) was determined. Mean readability levels of each company's articles were compared using analysis of variance (significance set at P < .05). A total of 581 articles were reviewed from the 5 largest implant manufacturers. The mean overall FK grade level was 10.9 (range, 3.8-16.1). Only 58 articles (10%) were written ≤ the eighth-grade level, and only 13 (2.2%) were ≤ the sixth-grade level. The mean FK grade level was significantly different among groups (Smith & Nephew = 12.0, Stryker = 11.6, Biomet = 11.3, DePuy = 10.6, Zimmer = 10.1; P < .0001). The majority of patient education materials from implant manufacturers are written at a level too high to be comprehended by the average patient. Future efforts should be made to improve the readability of orthopedic patient education materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Informed consent recall and comprehension in orthodontics: traditional vs improved readability and processability methods.

PubMed

Kang, Edith Y; Fields, Henry W; Kiyak, Asuman; Beck, F Michael; Firestone, Allen R

2009-10-01

Low general and health literacy in the United States means informed consent documents are not well understood by most adults. Methods to improve recall and comprehension of informed consent have not been tested in orthodontics. The purposes of this study were to evaluate (1) recall and comprehension among patients and parents by using the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) informed consent form and new forms incorporating improved readability and processability; (2) the association between reading ability, anxiety, and sociodemographic variables and recall and comprehension; and (3) how various domains (treatment, risk, and responsibility) of information are affected by the forms. Three treatment groups (30 patient-parent pairs in each) received an orthodontic case presentation and either the AAO form, an improved readability form (MIC), or an improved readability and processability (pairing audio and visual cues) form (MIC + SS). Structured interviews were transcribed and coded to evaluate recall and comprehension. Significant relationships among patient-related variables and recall and comprehension explained little of the variance. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient recall and parent recall and comprehension. Recall was better than comprehension, and parents performed better than patients. The MIC + SS form significantly improved patient treatment comprehension and risk recall and parent treatment recall and comprehension. Patients and parents both overestimated their understanding of the materials. Improving the readability of consent materials made little difference, but combining improved readability and processability benefited both patients' recall and parents' recall and comprehension compared with the AAO form.

The Readability of Online Resources for Mastopexy Surgery.

PubMed

Vargas, Christina R; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

2016-01-01

As more patients use Internet resources for health information, there is increasing interest in evaluating the readability of available online materials. The National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend that patient educational content be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the most popular online resources for information about mastopexy relative to average adult literacy in the United States. The 12 most popular sites returned by the largest Internet search engine were identified using the search term "breast lift surgery." Relevant articles from the main sites were downloaded and formatted into text documents. Pictures, captions, links, and references were excluded. The readability of these 100 articles was analyzed overall and subsequently by site using 10 established readability tests. Subgroup analysis was performed for articles discussing the benefits of surgery and those focusing on risks. The overall average readability of online patient information was 13.3 (range, 11.1-15). There was a range of average readability scores overall across the 12 sites from 8.9 to 16.1, suggesting that some may be more appropriate than others for patient demographics with different health literacy levels. Subgroup analysis revealed that articles discussing the risks of mastopexy were significantly harder to read (mean, 14.1) than articles about benefits (11.6). Patient-directed articles from the most popular online resources for mastopexy information are uniformly above the recommended reading level and likely too difficult to be understood by a large number of patients in the United States.

Quality of websites with patient information about spinal cord injury in Spanish.

PubMed

Bea-Muñoz, M; Medina-Sánchez, M; Flórez-García, M T

2016-07-01

Descriptive, cross-sectional analysis of websites with information on spinal cord injury (SCI) in Spanish. To assess the quality, readability and presence of quality labels on web pages with information about SCI in Spanish. The Internet. An Internet search was conducted on Google with the keywords 'lesión medular' (spinal cord injury), 'paraplejia' (paraplegia) and 'tetraplejia' (tetraplegia). The first 50 results of each search were included. The quality of websites was assessed with the LIDA tool while the readability was assessed with the Flesch-Szigriszt index and the INFLESZ scale. We also checked the presence of any quality label. After excluding duplicated and irrelevant results, 33 websites were analysed. Only four of them had a quality label. The mean score of the LIDA tool was 61.12% (medium quality), and the worst results were those referring to the reliability of the information. The readability of the web pages was somewhat difficult, with a mean of 48.22 in the Flesch-Szigriszt index. Only eight of the websites showed normal readability. We observed no differences in either the quality or the readability of the websites according to their origin or the presence of quality labels. The websites analysed present a medium quality. Mainly, they should improve the reliability of their contents and their readability, including more quality labels. For SCI information in Spanish to be understandable and to provide valuable content, websites analysed in our study need to improve the quality parameters.

Orthopaedic Patient Information on the World Wide Web: An Essential Review.

PubMed

Cassidy, John Tristan; Baker, Joseph F

2016-02-17

Patients increasingly use the Internet to research health-related issues. Internet content, unlike other forms of media, is not regulated. Although information accessed online can impact patients' opinions and expectations, there is limited information about the quality or readability of online orthopaedic information. PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar were searched using anatomic descriptors and three title keywords ("Internet," "web," and "online"). Articles examining online orthopaedic information from January 1, 2000, until April 1, 2015, were recorded. Articles were assessed for the number of reviewers evaluating the online material, whether the article examined for a link between authorship and quality, and the use of recognized quality and readability assessment tools. To facilitate a contemporary discussion, only publications since January 1, 2010, were considered for analysis. A total of thirty-eight peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 examining the quality and/or readability of online orthopaedic information were reviewed. For information quality, there was marked variation in the quality assessment methods utilized, the number of reviewers, and the manner of reporting. To date, the majority of examined information is of poor quality. Studies examining readability have focused on pages produced by professional orthopaedic societies. The quality and readability of online orthopaedic information are generally poor. For modern practices to adapt to the Internet and to prevent misinformation, the orthopaedic community should develop high-quality, readable online patient information. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Readability assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to facial fractures.

PubMed

Sanghvi, Saurin; Cherla, Deepa V; Shukla, Pratik A; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2012-09-01

Various professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and health care-related Web sites provide Internet-based patient education material (IPEMs) to the general public. However, this information may be written above the 6th-grade reading level recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this study is to assess the readability of facial fracture (FF)-related IPEMs and compare readability levels of IPEMs provided by four sources: professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and miscellaneous sources. Analysis of IPEMs on FFs available on Google.com. The readability of 41 FF-related IPEMs was assessed with four readability indices: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG). Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance and t tests. Only 4.9% of IPEMs were written at or below the 6th-grade reading level, based on FKGL. The mean readability scores were: FRES 54.10, FKGL 9.89, SMOG 12.73, and Gunning FOG 12.98, translating into FF-related IPEMs being written at a "difficult" writing level, which is above the level of reading understanding of the average American adult. IPEMs related to FFs are written above the recommended 6th-grade reading level. Consequently, this information would be difficult to understand by the average US patient. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

Mobility control experience in the Joffre Viking miscible CO[sub 2] flood

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luhning, R.W.; Stephenson, D.J.; Graham, A.G.

1993-08-01

This paper discusses mobility control in the Joffre Viking field miscible CO[sub 2] flood. Since 1984, three injection strategies have been tried: water-alternating-CO[sub 2] (WACO[sub 2]), continuous CO[sub 2], and simultaneous CO[sub 2] and water. The studies showed that simultaneous injection results in the best CO[sub 2] conformance. CO[sub 2]-foam injection has also been investigated.

Interpretation of Aura satellite observations of CO and aerosol index related to the December 2006 Australia fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, M.; Boxe, C.; Jiang, J.; Nassar, R.; Livesey, N.

2009-11-01

Enhanced Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the upper troposphere (UT) is shown by collocated Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements near and down-wind from the known wildfire region of SE Australia from 12-19 December 2006. Enhanced UV aerosol index (AI) derived from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements correlate with these high CO concentrations. HYSPLIT model back trajectories trace selected air parcels to the SE Australia fire region as their initial location, where TES observes enhanced CO in the upper and lower troposphere. Simultaneously, they show a lack of vertical advection along their tracks. TES retrieved CO vertical profiles in the higher and lower southern latitudes are examined together with the averaging kernels and show that TES CO retrievals are most sensitive at approximately 300-400 hPa. The enhanced CO observed by TES at the upper (215 hPa) and lower (681 hPa) troposphere are, therefore, influenced by mid-tropospheric CO. GEOS-Chem model simulations with an 8-day emission inventory, as the wildfire source over Australia, are sampled to the TES/MLS observation times and locations. These simulations only show CO enhancements in the lower troposphere near and down-wind from the wildfire region of SE Australia with drastic underestimates of UT CO. Although CloudSat along-track ice-water content curtains are examined to see whether possible vertical convection events can explain the high UT CO values, sparse observations of collocated Aura CO and CloudSat along-track ice-water content measurements for the single event precludes any conclusive correlation. Vertical convection that uplift fire-induced CO (i.e. most notably referred to as pyro-cumulonimbus, pyroCb) may provide an explanation for the incongruence between these simulations and the TES/MLS observations of enhanced CO in the UT. Future GEOS-Chem simulations are needed to validate this conjecture as the the PyroCb mechanism is currently not incorporated in GEOS-Chem.

Evaluation of Quality and Readability of Health Information Websites Identified through India's Major Search Engines.

PubMed

Raj, S; Sharma, V L; Singh, A J; Goel, S

2016-01-01

Background. The available health information on websites should be reliable and accurate in order to make informed decisions by community. This study was done to assess the quality and readability of health information websites on World Wide Web in India. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014. The key words "Health" and "Information" were used on search engines "Google" and "Yahoo." Out of 50 websites (25 from each search engines), after exclusion, 32 websites were evaluated. LIDA tool was used to assess the quality whereas the readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and SMOG. Results. Forty percent of websites (n = 13) were sponsored by government. Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification was present on 50% (n = 16) of websites. The mean LIDA score (74.31) was average. Only 3 websites scored high on LIDA score. Only five had readability scores at recommended sixth-grade level. Conclusion. Most health information websites had average quality especially in terms of usability and reliability and were written at high readability levels. Efforts are needed to develop the health information websites which can help general population in informed decision making.

An evaluation of the readability of drinking water quality reports: a national assessment.

PubMed

Roy, Siddhartha; Phetxumphou, Katherine; Dietrich, Andrea M; Estabrooks, Paul A; You, Wen; Davy, Brenda M

2015-09-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency mandates that community water systems (or water utilities) provide annual consumer confidence reports (CCRs)--water quality reports--to their consumers. These reports encapsulate information regarding sources of water, detected contaminants, regulatory compliance, and educational material. These reports have excellent potential for providing the public with accurate information on the safety of tap water, but there is a lack of research on the degree to which the information can be understood by a large proportion of the population. This study evaluated the readability of a nationally representative sample of 30 CCRs, released between 2011 and 2013. Readability (or 'comprehension difficulty') was evaluated using Flesch-Kincaid readability tests. The analysis revealed that CCRs were written at the 11th-14th grade level, which is well above the recommended 6th-7th grade level for public health communications. The CCR readability ease was found to be equivalent to that of the Harvard Law Review journal. These findings expose a wide chasm that exists between current water quality reports and their effectiveness toward being understandable to US residents. Suggestions for reorienting language and scientific information in CCRs to be easily comprehensible to the public are offered.

Diabetes websites accredited by the Health On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct: readable or not?

PubMed

Kusec, Sanja; Brborovic, Ognjen; Schillinger, Dean

2003-01-01

Health information posted on the Internet has become a popular mode of communication with the population at large because millions of people now use the Internet to gather health information. Many studies on readability have shown that patient education information is frequently written at the reading level too high for the average population to understand, and the same holds true for health information on the Internet. The aim of this study was to determine the readability levels of health information found on diabetes-related websites displaying HONcode logo, which indicates to high quality of the information provided. The 99 websites tested for readability using the Flesch Reading Ease formula and Flesch-Kincaid level showed FRE score 2.1 to 79.6, with the mean 41.7 (10th grade, 8th month Flesch-Kincaid level), which indicates that 86.9% of these materials would be too difficult to read for the average adult population. It is suggested that the readability level, and the name of the formula used, be used on the websites themselves to help the Internet users decide which sites could be of the greatest benefit to them.

Doing It Right: 366 answers to computing questions you didn't know you had

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herring, Stuart Davis

Slides include information on history: version control, version control: branches, version control: Git, releases, requirements, readability, readability control flow, global variables, architecture, architecture redundancy, processes, input/output, unix, etcetera.

A Practical Note on Readability Formulas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pauk, Walter

1969-01-01

Compares the readability formulas devised by Fry and McLaughlin to the Dale-Chall formula and reports similar results with the Fry and Dale-Chall formulas, but variant results using the McLaughlin formula. Bibliography. (MD)

A survey of machine readable data bases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matlock, P.

1981-01-01

Forty-two of the machine readable data bases available to the technologist and researcher in the natural sciences and engineering are described and compared with the data bases and date base services offered by NASA.

A Synthesis of Research on Color, Typography, and Graphics as they Relate to Readability.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

READABILITY THESIS Melvin E. Lamoreaux Captain, USAF ________AF IT/GLM/LSH/85S-40 ___- D T~DTIC ELECTE NOV 2 1 85 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE E AIR...UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio I Thi document hA= been p d i hP rel alse .,,ci I ,. 11 10 108...definitions of readability. For example, E. D . Hirsch, Jr., defines ;" adabiflty by the time and effort needed when, *assuming ... two texts convey the

The readability of scientific texts is decreasing over time

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Clarity and accuracy of reporting are fundamental to the scientific process. Readability formulas can estimate how difficult a text is to read. Here, in a corpus consisting of 709,577 abstracts published between 1881 and 2015 from 123 scientific journals, we show that the readability of science is steadily decreasing. Our analyses show that this trend is indicative of a growing use of general scientific jargon. These results are concerning for scientists and for the wider public, as they impact both the reproducibility and accessibility of research findings. PMID:28873054

The critical evaluation of stellar data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Underhill, A. B.; Mead, J. M.; Nagy, T. A.

1977-01-01

The paper discusses the importance of evaluating a catalog of stellar data, whether it is an old catalog being made available in machine-readable form, or a new catalog written expressly in machine-readable form, and discusses some principles to be followed in the evaluation of such data. A procedure to be followed when checking out an astronomical catalog on magnetic tape is described. A cross index system which relates the different identification numbers of a star or other astronomical object as they appear in different catalogs in machine-readable form is described.

Readability of informed consent forms in clinical trials conducted in a skin research center

PubMed Central

Samadi, Aniseh; Asghari, Fariba

2016-01-01

Obtaining informed consents is one of the most fundamental principles in conducting a clinical trial. In order for the consent to be informed, the patient must receive and comprehend the information appropriately. Complexity of the consent form is a common problem that has been shown to be a major barrier to comprehension for many patients. The objective of this study was to assess the readability of different templates of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in clinical trials in the Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy (CRTSDL), Tehran, Iran. This study was conducted on ICFs of 45 clinical trials of the CRTSDL affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. ICFs were tested for reading difficulty, using the readability assessments formula adjusted for the Persian language including the Flesch–Kincaid reading ease score, Flesch–Kincaid grade level, and Gunning fog index. Mean readability score of the whole text of ICFs as well as their 7 main information parts were calculated. The mean ± SD Flesch Reading Ease score for all ICFs was 31.96 ± 5.62 that is in the difficult range. The mean ± SD grade level was calculated as 10.71 ± 1.8 (8.23–14.09) using the Flesch–Kincaid formula and 14.64 ± 1.22 (12.67–18.27) using the Gunning fog index. These results indicate that the text is expected to be understandable for an average student in the 11th grade, while the ethics committee recommend grade level 8 as the standard readability level for ICFs. The results showed that the readability scores of ICFs assessed in our study were not in the acceptable range. This means they were too complex to be understood by the general population. Ethics committees must examine the simplicity and readability of ICFs used in clinical trials. PMID:27471590

Accuracy and readability of cardiovascular entries on Wikipedia: are they reliable learning resources for medical students?

PubMed Central

Azer, Samy A; AlSwaidan, Nourah M; Alshwairikh, Lama A; AlShammari, Jumana M

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate accuracy of content and readability level of English Wikipedia articles on cardiovascular diseases, using quality and readability tools. Methods Wikipedia was searched on the 6 October 2013 for articles on cardiovascular diseases. Using a modified DISCERN (DISCERN is an instrument widely used in assessing online resources), articles were independently scored by three assessors. The readability was calculated using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The inter-rater agreement between evaluators was calculated using the Fleiss κ scale. Results This study was based on 47 English Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases. The DISCERN scores had a median=33 (IQR=6). Four articles (8.5%) were of good quality (DISCERN score 40–50), 39 (83%) moderate (DISCERN 30–39) and 4 (8.5%) were poor (DISCERN 10–29). Although the entries covered the aetiology and the clinical picture, there were deficiencies in the pathophysiology of diseases, signs and symptoms, diagnostic approaches and treatment. The number of references varied from 1 to 127 references; 25.9±29.4 (mean±SD). Several problems were identified in the list of references and citations made in the articles. The readability of articles was 14.3±1.7 (mean±SD); consistent with the readability level for college students. In comparison, Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine 18th edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level. The overall agreement between the evaluators was good (Fleiss κ 0.718 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.83). Conclusions The Wikipedia entries are not aimed at a medical audience and should not be used as a substitute to recommended medical resources. Course designers and students should be aware that Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases lack accuracy, predominantly due to errors of omission. Further improvement of the Wikipedia content of cardiovascular entries would be needed before they could be considered a supplementary resource. PMID:26443650

Cauda equina syndrome: assessing the readability and quality of patient information on the Internet.

PubMed

O'Neill, Shane Ciaran; Baker, Joseph Frederick; Fitzgerald, Conall; Fleming, Christina; Rowan, Fiachra; Byrne, Damien; Synnott, Keith

2014-05-01

A readability and quality control Internet-based study using recognized quality scoring systems. To assess the readability and quality of Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome accessed through common search engines. Access to health-related Internet information has increased dramatically during the past decade. A significant proportion of this information has been demonstrated to be set at too high a level for general comprehension. Despite this, searching for health-related information is now the third most popular online activity. A total of 125 cauda equina syndrome Web sites were analyzed from the 5 most popular Internet search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, and AOL. Web site authorship was classified: academic, physician, medico-legal, commercial, or discussion/social media. Readability of each Web site was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score, the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and the Gunning Fog Index. Quality was calculated using the DISCERN instrument and The Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria. The presence of HON-code certification was also assessed. Fifty-two individual Web sites were identified and assessed. The majority of Web sites were academic or physician compiled (53.8%; 28/52); however, a significant minority of Web sites were medico-legal related (19.2%; 10/52). Just 13.5% (7/52) of Web sites were at or below the recommended sixth-grade readability level. HON-code certified Web sites achieved significantly greater DISCERN (P = 0.0006) and The Journal of the American Medical Association (P = 0.0002) scores. Internet information relating to cauda equina syndrome is of variable quality and largely set at an inappropriate readability level. Given this variability in quality, health care providers should direct patients to known sources of reliable, readable online information. Identification of reliable sources may be aided by known markers of quality such as HON-code certification.

The effect of search term on the quality and accuracy of online information regarding distal radius fractures.

PubMed

Dy, Christopher J; Taylor, Samuel A; Patel, Ronak M; Kitay, Alison; Roberts, Timothy R; Daluiski, Aaron

2012-09-01

Recent emphasis on shared decision making and patient-centered research has increased the importance of patient education and health literacy. The internet is rapidly growing as a source of self-education for patients. However, concern exists over the quality, accuracy, and readability of the information. Our objective was to determine whether the quality, accuracy, and readability of information online about distal radius fractures vary with the search term. This was a prospective evaluation of 3 search engines using 3 different search terms of varying sophistication ("distal radius fracture," "wrist fracture," and "broken wrist"). We evaluated 70 unique Web sites for quality, accuracy, and readability. We used comparative statistics to determine whether the search term affected the quality, accuracy, and readability of the Web sites found. Three orthopedic surgeons independently gauged quality and accuracy of information using a set of predetermined scoring criteria. We evaluated the readability of the Web site using the Fleisch-Kincaid score for reading grade level. There were significant differences in the quality, accuracy, and readability of information found, depending on the search term. We found higher quality and accuracy resulted from the search term "distal radius fracture," particularly compared with Web sites resulting from the term "broken wrist." The reading level was higher than recommended in 65 of the 70 Web sites and was significantly higher when searching with "distal radius fracture" than "wrist fracture" or "broken wrist." There was no correlation between Web site reading level and quality or accuracy. The readability of information about distal radius fractures in most Web sites was higher than the recommended reading level for the general public. The quality and accuracy of the information found significantly varied with the sophistication of the search term used. Physicians, professional societies, and search engines should consider efforts to improve internet access to high-quality information at an understandable level. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Exchange of Bibliographic Data in Non-Roman Scripts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellisch, Hans H.

1980-01-01

Advocates the use of machine readable codes to accomplish romanization and promote the exchange of bibliographic data. Proposals are presented for transliteration standards, design of machine readable conversion codes, and the establishment of databases. (RAA)

Initial Readability Assessment of Clinical Trial Eligibility Criteria

PubMed Central

Kang, Tian; Elhadad, Noémie; Weng, Chunhua

2015-01-01

Various search engines are available to clinical trial seekers. However, it remains unknown how comprehensible clinical trial eligibility criteria used for recruitment are to a lay audience. This study initially investigated this problem. Readability of eligibility criteria was assessed according to (i) shallow and lexical characteristics through the use of an established, generic readability metric; (ii) syntactic characteristics through natural language processing techniques; and (iii) health terminological characteristics through an automated comparison to technical and lay health texts. We further stratified clinical trials according to various study characteristics (e.g., source country or study type) to understand potential factors influencing readability. Mainly caused by frequent use of technical jargons, a college reading level was found to be necessary to understand eligibility criteria text, a level much higher than the average literacy level of the general American population. The use of technical jargons should be minimized to simplify eligibility criteria text. PMID:26958204

The readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets.

PubMed

Corcoran, Nova; Ahmad, Fatuma

2016-02-01

To investigate the readability and suitability of sexual health promotion leaflets. Application of SMOG, FRY and SAM tests to assess the readability and suitability of a selection of sexual health leaflets. SMOG and FRY scores illustrate an average reading level of grade 9. SAM scores indicate that 59% of leaflets are superior in design and 41% are average in design. Leaflets generally perform well in the categories of content, literacy demand, typography and layout. They perform poorly in use of graphics, learning stimulation/motivation and cultural appropriateness. Sexual health leaflets have a reading level that is too high. Leaflets perform well on the suitability scores indicating they are reasonably suitable. There are a number of areas where sexual health leaflets could improve their design. Numerous practical techniques are suggested for improving the readability and suitability of sexual health leaflets. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method and computer program product for maintenance and modernization backlogging

DOEpatents

Mattimore, Bernard G; Reynolds, Paul E; Farrell, Jill M

2013-02-19

According to one embodiment, a computer program product for determining future facility conditions includes a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored therein. The computer readable program code includes computer readable program code for calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, for calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and for calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method for calculating future facility conditions includes calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. Other embodiments are also presented.

Evaluation of the Quality, Accuracy, and Readability of Online Patient Resources for the Management of Articular Cartilage Defects.

PubMed

Wang, Dean; Jayakar, Rohit G; Leong, Natalie L; Leathers, Michael P; Williams, Riley J; Jones, Kristofer J

2017-04-01

Objective Patients commonly use the Internet to obtain their health-related information. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality, accuracy, and readability of online patient resources for the management of articular cartilage defects. Design Three search terms ("cartilage defect," "cartilage damage," "cartilage injury") were entered into 3 Internet search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo). The first 25 websites from each search were collected and reviewed. The quality and accuracy of online information were independently evaluated by 3 reviewers using predetermined scoring criteria. The readability was evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) grade score. Results Fifty-three unique websites were evaluated. Quality ratings were significantly higher in websites with a FK score >11 compared to those with a score of ≤11 ( P = 0.021). Only 10 websites (19%) differentiated between focal cartilage defects and diffuse osteoarthritis. Of these, 7 (70%) were elicited using the search term "cartilage defect" ( P = 0.038). The average accuracy of the websites was high (11.7 out of maximum 12), and the average FK grade level (13.4) was several grades higher than the recommended level for readable patient education material (eighth grade level). Conclusions The quality and readability of online patient resources for articular cartilage defects favor those with a higher level of education. Additionally, the majority of these websites do not distinguish between focal chondral defects and diffuse osteoarthritis, which can fail to provide appropriate patient education and guidance for available treatment. Clinicians should help guide patients toward high-quality, accurate, and readable online patient education material.

Analysis of the readability of patient education materials from surgical subspecialties.

PubMed

Hansberry, David R; Agarwal, Nitin; Shah, Ravi; Schmitt, Paul J; Baredes, Soly; Setzen, Michael; Carmel, Peter W; Prestigiacomo, Charles J; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2014-02-01

Patients are increasingly using the Internet as a source of information on medical conditions. Because the average American adult reads at a 7th- to 8th-grade level, the National Institutes of Health recommend that patient education material be written between a 4th- and 6th-grade level. In this study, we assess and compare the readability of patient education materials on major surgical subspecialty Web sites relative to otolaryngology. Descriptive and correlational design. Patient education materials from 14 major surgical subspecialty Web sites (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American Society of General Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Pediatric Surgical Association, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Society for Thoracic Surgeons, and American Urological Association) were downloaded and assessed for their level of readability using 10 widely accepted readability scales. The readability level of patient education material from all surgical subspecialties was uniformly too high. Average readability levels across all subspecialties ranged from the 10th- to 15th-grade level. Otolaryngology and other surgical subspecialties Web sites have patient education material written at an education level that the average American may not be able to understand. To reach a broader population of patients, it might be necessary to rewrite patient education material at a more appropriate level. N/A. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Readability Assessment of Online Patient Abdominoplasty Resources.

PubMed

Phillips, Nicole A; Vargas, Christina R; Chuang, Danielle J; Lee, Bernard T

2015-02-01

Limited functional health literacy is recognized as an important contributor to health disparities in the United States. As internet access becomes more universal, there is increasing concern about whether patients with poor or marginal literacy can access understandable healthcare information. As such, the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend that patient information be written at a sixth grade level. This study identifies the most popular online resources for patient information about abdominoplasty and evaluates their readability in the context of average American literacy. The two largest internet search engines were queried for "tummy tuck surgery" to simulate a patient search in lay terms. The ten most popular sites common to both search engines were identified, and all relevant articles from the main sites were downloaded. Sponsored results were excluded. Readability analysis of the articles was performed using ten established tests. Online information about abdominoplasty from the ten most popular publically available websites had an overall average readability of 12th grade. Mean reading grade level scores among tests were: Coleman-Liau 11.9, Flesch-Kincaid 11.4, FORCAST 11.1, Fry 13, Gunning Fog 13.5, New Dale-Chall 11.8, New Fog Count 9.9, Raygor Estimate 12, and SMOG 13.4; Flesch Reading Ease index score was 46. Online patient resources about abdominoplasty are uniformly above the recommended target readability level and are likely too difficult for many patients to understand. A range of readability identified among websites could allow surgeons to guide patients to more appropriate resources for their literacy skills.

Content, format, gender and grade level differences in elementary students' ability to read science materials as measured by the cloze procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Richard L.; Yore, Larry D.

Present instructional trends in science indicate a need to reexamine a traditional concern in science education: the readability of science textbooks. An area of reading research not well documented is the effect of color, visuals, and page layout on readability of science materials. Using the cloze readability method, the present study explored the relationships between page format, grade level, sex, content, and elementary school students ability to read science material. Significant relationships were found between cloze scores and both grade level and content, and there was a significant interaction effect between grade and sex in favor of older males. No significant relationships could be attributed to page format and sex. In the area of science content, biological materials were most difficult in terms of readability followed by earth science and physical science. Grade level data indicated that grade five materials were more difficult for that level than either grade four or grade six materials were for students at each respective level. In eight of nine cases, the science text materials would be classified at or near the frustration level of readability. The implications for textbook writers and publishers are that science reading materials need to be produced with greater attention to readability and known design principles regarding visual supplements. The implication for teachers is that students need direct instruction in using visual materials to increase their learning from text material. Present visual materials appear to neither help nor hinder the student to gain information from text material.

Readability Trends of Online Information by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

PubMed

Wong, Kevin; Levi, Jessica R

2017-01-01

Objective Previous studies have shown that patient education materials published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation may be too difficult for the average reader to understand. The purpose of this study was to determine if current educational materials show improvements in readability. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting The Patient Health Information section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation website. Subjects and Methods All patient education articles were extracted in plain text. Webpage navigation, references, author information, appointment information, acknowledgments, and disclaimers were removed. Follow-up editing was also performed to remove paragraph breaks, colons, semicolons, numbers, percentages, and bullets. Readability grade was calculated with the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning-Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. Intra- and interobserver reliability were assessed. Results A total of 126 articles from 7 topics were analyzed. Readability levels across all 6 tools showed that the difficulty of patient education materials exceeded the abilities of an average American. As compared with previous studies, current educational materials by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation have shown a decrease in difficulty. Intra- and interobserver reliability were both excellent, with intraclass coefficients of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. Conclusion Improvements in readability is an encouraging finding and one that is consistent with recent trends toward improved health literacy. Nevertheless, online patient educational material is still too difficult for the average reader. Revisions may be necessary for current materials to benefit a larger readership.

Readability and quality of wikipedia pages on neurosurgical topics.

PubMed

Modiri, Omeed; Guha, Daipayan; Alotaibi, Naif M; Ibrahim, George M; Lipsman, Nir; Fallah, Aria

2018-03-01

Wikipedia is the largest online encyclopedia with over 40 million articles, and generating 500 million visits per month. The aim of this study is to assess the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages on neurosurgical related topics. We selected the neurosurgical related Wikipedia pages based on the series of online patient information articles that are published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). We assessed readability of Wikipedia pages using five different readability scales (Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG) Grade level, and Coleman-Liau Index). We used the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Clear Communication Index as well as the DISCERN Instrument to evaluate the quality of each Wikipedia article. We identified a total of fifty-five Wikipedia articles that corresponded with patient information articles published by the AANS. This constitutes 77.46% of the AANS topics. The mean Flesch Kincaid reading ease score for all of the Wikipedia articles we analyzed is 31.10, which indicates that a college-level education is necessary to understand them. In comparison to the readability analysis for the AANS articles, the Wikipedia articles were more difficult to read across every scale. None of the Wikipedia articles meet the CDC criterion for clear communications. Our analyses demonstrated that Wikipedia articles related to neurosurgical topics are associated with higher grade levels for reading and also below the expected levels of clear communications for patients. Collaborative efforts from the neurosurgical community are needed to enhance the readability and quality of Wikipedia pages related to neurosurgery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What parents are reading about laryngomalacia: Quality and readability of internet resources on laryngomalacia.

PubMed

Corredera, Erica; Davis, Kara S; Simons, Jeffrey P; Jabbour, Noel

2018-05-01

The goal of this study is to measure the quality and readability of websites related to laryngomalacia, and to compare the quality and readability scores for the sites accessed through the most popular search engines. Laryngomalacia is a common diagnosis in children but is often difficult for parents to comprehend. As information available on the internet is unregulated, the quality and readability of this information may vary. An advanced search on Google, Yahoo, and Bing was conducted using the terms "laryngomalacia" OR "soft larynx" OR "floppy voice box." The first ten websites meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated, for each search engine. Quality and readability were assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Flesch reading ease scoring (FRES) and Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) tests, respectively. The top 10 hits on each search engine yielded 15 unique web pages. The median DISCERN score (out of a possible high-score of 80) was 48.5 (SD 12.6). The median USA grade-level estimated by the FKGL was 11.3 (SD 1.4). Only one website (6.7%), had a readability score in the optimal range of 6th to 8th grade reading level. DISCERN scores did not correlate with FKGL scores (r = 0.10). Online information discussing laryngomalacia often varies in quality and may not be easily comprehensible to the public. It is important for healthcare professionals to understand the quality of health information accessible to patients as it may influence medical decision-making by patient families. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Readability assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to mammography for breast cancer screening.

PubMed

AlKhalili, Rend; Shukla, Pratik A; Patel, Ronak H; Sanghvi, Saurin; Hubbi, Basil

2015-03-01

The US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that Internet-based patient education materials (IPEMs) be written below the sixth-grade reading level to target the average American adult. This study was designed to determine the readability of IPEMs regarding mammography for breast cancer screening. Three-hundred mammography-related Web sites were reviewed for IPEMs. Forty-two IPEMs that met the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct were assessed for readability level with four readability indices that use existing algorithms based on word and sentence length to quantitatively analyze Internet sources for language intricacy including the following: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG; GFOG). Results were compared to national recommendations, and intergroup analysis was performed. No IPEMs (0%) regarding mammography were written at or below the sixth-grade reading level, based on FKGL. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 49.04 ± 10.62; FKGL, 10.71 ± 2.01; SMOG, 13.33 ± 1.67; and Gunning FOG, 14.32 ± 2.18. These scores indicate that the readability of mammography IPEMs is written at a "difficult" level, significantly above the recommended sixth-grade reading level (P < .05) determined by the USDHHS. IPEMs related to mammography are written well above the recommended sixth-grade level and likely reflect other IPEMs in diagnostic radiology. Copyright © 2015 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The quality of websites addressing fibromyalgia: an assessment of quality and readability using standardised tools

PubMed Central

MacDermid, Joy C; Wilkins, Seanne; Gibson, Jane; Shaw, Lynn

2011-01-01

Background Patients living with fibromyalgia strongly prefer to access health information on the web. However, the majority of subjects in previous studies strongly expressed their concerns about the quality of online information resources. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate existing online fibromyalgia information resources for content, quality and readability by using standardised quality and readability tools. Methods The first 25 websites were identified using Google and the search keyword ‘fibromyalgia’. Pairs of raters independently evaluated website quality using two structured tools (DISCERN and a quality checklist). Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score maps. Results Ranking of the websites' quality varied by the tool used, although there was general agreement about the top three websites (Fibromyalgia Information, Fibromyalgia Information Foundation and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases). Content analysis indicated that 72% of websites provided information on treatment options, 68% on symptoms, 60% on diagnosis and 40% on coping and resources. DISCERN ratings classified 32% websites as ‘very good’, 32% as ‘good and 36% as ‘marginal’. The mean overall DISCERN score was 36.88 (good). Only 16% of websites met the recommended literacy level grade of 6–8 (range 7–15). Conclusion Higher quality websites tended to be less readable. Online fibromyalgia information resources do not provide comprehensive information about fibromyalgia, and have low quality and poor readability. While information is very important for those living with fibromyalgia, current resources are unlikely to provide necessary or accurate information, and may not be usable for most people. PMID:22021777

The quality of websites addressing fibromyalgia: an assessment of quality and readability using standardised tools.

PubMed

Daraz, Lubna; Macdermid, Joy C; Wilkins, Seanne; Gibson, Jane; Shaw, Lynn

2011-07-31

Background Patients living with fibromyalgia strongly prefer to access health information on the web. However, the majority of subjects in previous studies strongly expressed their concerns about the quality of online information resources. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate existing online fibromyalgia information resources for content, quality and readability by using standardised quality and readability tools. Methods The first 25 websites were identified using Google and the search keyword 'fibromyalgia'. Pairs of raters independently evaluated website quality using two structured tools (DISCERN and a quality checklist). Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease score maps. Results Ranking of the websites' quality varied by the tool used, although there was general agreement about the top three websites (Fibromyalgia Information, Fibromyalgia Information Foundation and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases). Content analysis indicated that 72% of websites provided information on treatment options, 68% on symptoms, 60% on diagnosis and 40% on coping and resources. DISCERN ratings classified 32% websites as 'very good', 32% as 'good and 36% as 'marginal'. The mean overall DISCERN score was 36.88 (good). Only 16% of websites met the recommended literacy level grade of 6-8 (range 7-15). Conclusion Higher quality websites tended to be less readable. Online fibromyalgia information resources do not provide comprehensive information about fibromyalgia, and have low quality and poor readability. While information is very important for those living with fibromyalgia, current resources are unlikely to provide necessary or accurate information, and may not be usable for most people.

How well are health information websites displayed on mobile phones? Implications for the readability of health information.

PubMed

Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

2017-03-01

Issue addressed More than 87% of Australians own a mobile phone with Internet access and 82% of phone owners use their smartphones to search for health information, indicating that mobile phones may be a powerful tool for building health literacy. Yet, online health information has been found to be above the reading ability of the general population. As reading on a smaller screen may further complicate the readability of information, this study aimed to examine how health information is displayed on mobile phones and its implications for readability. Methods Using a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling, a sample of 270 mobile webpages with information on 12 common health conditions was generated for analysis, they were categorised based on design and position of information display. Results The results showed that 71.48% of webpages were mobile-friendly but only 15.93% were mobile-friendly webpages designed in a way to optimise readability, with a paging format and queried information displayed for immediate viewing. Conclusion With inadequate evidence and lack of consensus on how webpage design can best promote reading and comprehension, it is difficult to draw a conclusion on the effect of current mobile health information presentation on readability. So what? Building mobile-responsive websites should be a priority for health information providers and policy-makers. Research efforts are urgently required to identify how best to enhance readability of mobile health information and fully capture the capabilities of mobile phones as a useful device to increase health literacy.

Readability Formulas as Applied to College Economics Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Campbell R.

1982-01-01

Determines from empirical information on the application of four readability formulas to a group of widely used college economics textbooks that there is no consistency in the absolute reading levels or the rank orderings of these books. (AEA)

Facilitating CCS Business Planning by Extending the Functionality of the SimCCS Integrated System Model

DOE PAGES

Ellett, Kevin M.; Middleton, Richard S.; Stauffer, Philip H.; ...

2017-08-18

The application of integrated system models for evaluating carbon capture and storage technology has expanded steadily over the past few years. To date, such models have focused largely on hypothetical scenarios of complex source-sink matching involving numerous large-scale CO 2 emitters, and high-volume, continuous reservoirs such as deep saline formations to function as geologic sinks for carbon storage. Though these models have provided unique insight on the potential costs and feasibility of deploying complex networks of integrated infrastructure, there remains a pressing need to translate such insight to the business community if this technology is to ever achieve a trulymore » meaningful impact in greenhouse gas mitigation. Here, we present a new integrated system modelling tool termed SimCCUS aimed at providing crucial decision support for businesses by extending the functionality of a previously developed model called SimCCS. The primary innovation of the SimCCUS tool development is the incorporation of stacked geological reservoir systems with explicit consideration of processes and costs associated with the operation of multiple CO 2 utilization and storage targets from a single geographic location. In such locations provide significant efficiencies through economies of scale, effectively minimizing CO 2 storage costs while simultaneously maximizing revenue streams via the utilization of CO 2 as a commodity for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery.« less

Facilitating CCS Business Planning by Extending the Functionality of the SimCCS Integrated System Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellett, Kevin M.; Middleton, Richard S.; Stauffer, Philip H.

The application of integrated system models for evaluating carbon capture and storage technology has expanded steadily over the past few years. To date, such models have focused largely on hypothetical scenarios of complex source-sink matching involving numerous large-scale CO 2 emitters, and high-volume, continuous reservoirs such as deep saline formations to function as geologic sinks for carbon storage. Though these models have provided unique insight on the potential costs and feasibility of deploying complex networks of integrated infrastructure, there remains a pressing need to translate such insight to the business community if this technology is to ever achieve a trulymore » meaningful impact in greenhouse gas mitigation. Here, we present a new integrated system modelling tool termed SimCCUS aimed at providing crucial decision support for businesses by extending the functionality of a previously developed model called SimCCS. The primary innovation of the SimCCUS tool development is the incorporation of stacked geological reservoir systems with explicit consideration of processes and costs associated with the operation of multiple CO 2 utilization and storage targets from a single geographic location. In such locations provide significant efficiencies through economies of scale, effectively minimizing CO 2 storage costs while simultaneously maximizing revenue streams via the utilization of CO 2 as a commodity for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery.« less

Development of a validation model for the defense meteorological satellite program's special sensor microwave imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, C. T.; Goodberlet, M. A.; Wilkerson, J. C.

1990-01-01

The Defence Meteorological Space Program's (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), an operational wind speed algorithm was developed. The algorithm is based on the D-matrix approach which seeks a linear relationship between measured SSM/I brightness temperatures and environmental parameters. D-matrix performance was validated by comparing algorithm derived wind speeds with near-simultaneous and co-located measurements made by off-shore ocean buoys. Other topics include error budget modeling, alternate wind speed algorithms, and D-matrix performance with one or more inoperative SSM/I channels.

Simultaneous Online Measurement of H2O and CO2 in the Humid CO2 Adsorption/Desorption Process.

PubMed

Yu, Qingni; Ye, Sha; Zhu, Jingke; Lei, Lecheng; Yang, Bin

2015-01-01

A dew point meter (DP) and an infrared (IR) CO2 analyzer were assembled in a humid CO2 adsorption/desorption system in series for simultaneous online measurements of H2O and CO2, respectively. The humidifier, by using surface-flushing on a saturated brine solution was self-made for the generation of humid air flow. It was found that by this method it became relatively easy to obtain a low H2O content in air flow and that its fluctuation could be reduced compared to the bubbling method. Water calibration for the DP-IR detector is necessary to be conducted for minimizing the measurement error of H2O. It demonstrated that the relative error (RA) for simultaneous online measurements H2O and CO2 in the desorption process is lower than 0.1%. The high RA in the adsorption of H2O is attributed to H2O adsorption on the transfer pipe and amplification of the measurement error. The high accuracy of simultaneous online measurements of H2O and CO2 is promising for investigating their co-adsorption/desorption behaviors, especially for direct CO2 capture from ambient air.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of A Finding List of Stars of Spectral Type F2 and Earlier in a North Galactic Pole Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

The machine-readable data set is the result of an objective-prism survey made with an 80 cm/120 cm Schmidt telescope. The F2 and earlier stars were isolated from later type objects by using the MK classification criteria. The catalog contains 601 stars and includes cross identifications to the BD and HD catalogs, coordinates, photographic magnitudes and spectral types. A separate file contains the remarks from the original data tables merged with those following the data. The machine-readable files are described.

Readability of menopause web sites: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Charbonneau, Deborah H

2012-01-01

More women are frequently referring to the Internet for health information, yet the readability of information about menopause on the Internet has not been widely studied. To address this gap, this study examined the readability of information about menopause on 25 Internet Web sites. Findings included that information on the Web sites had a reading level higher than the recommended sixth-grade level, and culturally appropriate health information was lacking. Health educators and practitioners are in a pivotal role to help women understand information useful for healthcare decisions. Several criteria are discussed to help practitioners evaluate Web sites.

Health literacy and the Internet: a study on the readability of Australian online health information.

PubMed

Cheng, Christina; Dunn, Matthew

2015-08-01

Almost 80% of Australian Internet users seek out health information online so the readability of this information is important. This study aimed to evaluate the readability of Australian online health information and determine if it matches the average reading level of Australians. Two hundred and fifty-one web pages with information on 12 common health conditions were identified across sectors. Readability was assessed by the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, with grade 8 adopted as the average Australian reading level. The average reading grade measured by F-K and SMOG was 10.54 and 12.12 respectively. The mean FRE was 47.54, a 'difficult-to-read' score. Only 0.4% of web pages were written at or below grade 8 according to SMOG. Information on dementia was the most difficult to read overall, while obesity was the most difficult among government websites. The findings suggest that the readability of Australian health websites is above the average Australian levels of reading. A quantifiable guideline is needed to ensure online health information accommodates the reading needs of the general public to effectively use the Internet as an enabler of health literacy. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Reading apps for children: Readability from the design perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, Wasan Abdulwahab; Husni, Husniza

2017-10-01

Electronic reading for young children opens new avenues especially with the advance of modern reading devices. The readability of mobile learning applications has received extensive attention by the designers and developers. The reason for such concern is due to its importance in determining usability related issues especially in the design context for children. In many cases, children find it difficult to interact with mobile reading apps. This is because apps for reading and for entertainment require different features. As such, this study sets out three objectives: 1) to evaluate five reading apps for young children from design perspectives; 2) to examine the readability for current existing mobile apps for reading and 3) to propose and evaluate mobile apps UI guideline for readability. Readability indices, observation and interview were conducted on 6 - 8 years old students. The obtained result showed that certain reading apps provide better reading experience for children than others. Some of the reasons are mostly related to the design characteristics embedded within the app. In addition, the use of animation was found to stimulate children reading experience as it is believed to offer the interactivity elements to gain their interest and willingness to read. These findings are believed to provide the recommendations and insights for designers of reading apps for children.

Evaluation of Quality and Readability of Health Information Websites Identified through India's Major Search Engines

PubMed Central

Raj, S.; Sharma, V. L.; Singh, A. J.; Goel, S.

2016-01-01

Background. The available health information on websites should be reliable and accurate in order to make informed decisions by community. This study was done to assess the quality and readability of health information websites on World Wide Web in India. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014. The key words “Health” and “Information” were used on search engines “Google” and “Yahoo.” Out of 50 websites (25 from each search engines), after exclusion, 32 websites were evaluated. LIDA tool was used to assess the quality whereas the readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and SMOG. Results. Forty percent of websites (n = 13) were sponsored by government. Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification was present on 50% (n = 16) of websites. The mean LIDA score (74.31) was average. Only 3 websites scored high on LIDA score. Only five had readability scores at recommended sixth-grade level. Conclusion. Most health information websites had average quality especially in terms of usability and reliability and were written at high readability levels. Efforts are needed to develop the health information websites which can help general population in informed decision making. PMID:27119025

Assessing the content, presentation, and readability of dental informed consents.

PubMed

Glick, Aaron; Taylor, David; Valenza, John A; Walji, Muhammad F

2010-08-01

Informed consents are important aids in helping patients make optimal decisions. Little knowledge exists about the quality of dental informed consents. Fifty-two informed consents used throughout the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch were evaluated based on the quality of their content, readability, and presentation. Content quality was judged on four basic elements: description of procedure, risk, benefits, and alternatives. Of the clinical consents, 26 percent of forms contained all four of the basic content elements, 48 percent contained three of four elements, 16 percent contained two of four elements, and 10 percent contained one of four elements. Presentation quality was judged on twelve criteria items. The average clinical consent included seven out of twelve presentation items, and the average nonclinical consent included eight out of twelve items. Readability was judged using three standard instruments for rating readability: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade-Level, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grading. Average Flesch-Kincaid Grade-Level was 12.7 (range, 7.4 to 19.1), significantly higher than the recommended ninth grade level (p<.001). The results suggest that many existing dental informed consents may be improved by 1) increasing the comprehensiveness of the content, 2) improving the design and layout, and 3) reducing the readability levels for patient comprehension.

Reading Rate, Readability, and Variations in Task-Induced Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coke, Esther U.

1976-01-01

This study explored the hypothesis that task variables account for previous findings that reading rate is unaffected by readability. The findings suggest that when appropriate reading tasks are chosen, reading rate can be used to infer underlying processes in reading. (Author/DEP)

Evaluating the complexity of online patient education materials about brain aneurysms published by major academic institutions.

PubMed

Gupta, Raghav; Adeeb, Nimer; Griessenauer, Christoph J; Moore, Justin M; Patel, Apar S; Kim, Christopher; Thomas, Ajith J; Ogilvy, Christopher S

2017-08-01

OBJECTIVE Health care education resources are increasingly available on the Internet. A majority of people reference these resources at one point or another. A threshold literacy level is needed to comprehend the information presented within these materials. A key component of health literacy is the readability of educational resources. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Medical Association have recommended that patient education materials be written between a 4th- and a 6th-grade education level. The authors assessed the readability of online patient education materials about brain aneurysms that have been published by several academic institutions across the US. METHODS Online patient education materials about brain aneurysms were downloaded from the websites of 20 academic institutions. The materials were assessed via 8 readability scales using Readability Studio software (Oleander Software Solutions), and then were statistically analyzed. RESULTS None of the patient education materials were written at or below the NIH's recommended 6th-grade reading level. The average educational level required to comprehend the texts across all institutions, as assessed by 7 of the readability scales, was 12.4 ± 2.5 (mean ± SD). The Flesch Reading Ease Scale classified the materials as "difficult" to understand, correlating with a college-level education or higher. An ANOVA test found that there were no significant differences in readability among the materials from the institutions (p = 0.215). CONCLUSIONS Brain aneurysms affect 3.2% of adults 50 years or older across the world and can cause significant patient anxiety and uncertainty. Current patient education materials are not written at or below the NIH's recommended 4th- to 6th-grade education level.

Enhancing the Radiologist-Patient Relationship through Improved Communication: A Quantitative Readability Analysis in Spine Radiology.

PubMed

Hansberry, D R; Donovan, A L; Prabhu, A V; Agarwal, N; Cox, M; Flanders, A E

2017-06-01

More than 75 million Americans have less than adequate health literacy skills according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Readability scores are used as a measure of how well populations read and understand patient education materials. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of Web sites dedicated to patient education for radiologic spine imaging and interventions. Eleven search terms relevant to radiologic spine imaging were searched on the public Internet, and the top 10 links for each term were collected and analyzed to determine readability scores by using 10 well-validated quantitative readability assessments from patient-centered education Web sites. The search terms included the following: x-ray spine, CT spine, MR imaging spine, lumbar puncture, kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty, discogram, myelogram, cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine. Collectively, the 110 articles were written at an 11.3 grade level (grade range, 7.1-16.9). None of the articles were written at the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommended 3rd-to-7th grade reading levels. The vertebroplasty articles were written at a statistically significant ( P < .05) more advanced level than the articles for x-ray spine, CT spine, and MR imaging spine. Increasing use of the Internet to obtain health information has made it imperative that on-line patient education be written for easy comprehension by the average American. However, given the discordance between readability scores of the articles and the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommended guidelines, it is likely that many patients do not fully benefit from these resources. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Dr Google: The readability and accuracy of patient education websites for Graves' disease treatment.

PubMed

Purdy, Amanda C; Idriss, Almoatazbellah; Ahern, Susan; Lin, Elizabeth; Elfenbein, Dawn M

2017-11-01

National guidelines emphasize the importance of incorporating patient preferences into the recommendations for the treatment of Graves' disease. Many patients use the Internet to obtain health information, and search results can affect their treatment decisions. This study compares the readability and accuracy of patient-oriented online resources for the treatment of Graves' disease by website affiliation and treatment modality. A systematic Internet search was used to identify the top websites discussing the treatment of Graves' disease. Readability was measured using 5 standardized tests. Accuracy was assessed by a blinded, expert panel, which scored the accuracy of sites on a scale of 1 to 5. Mean readability and accuracy scores were compared among website affiliations and treatment modalities. We identified 13 unique websites, including 2 academic, 2 government, 5 nonprofit, and 4 private sites. There was a difference in both readability (mean 13.2, range 9.1-15.7, P = .003) and accuracy (mean 4.04, range 2.75-4.50, P = .019) based on website affiliation. Government sites (mean readability 11.1) were easier to read than academic (14.3, P < .01), nonprofit (13.9, P < .01), and private sites (13.5, P < .05). Academic sites (mean accuracy 4.50) were more accurate than private sites (3.56, P < .05). Online patient resources for the treatment of Graves' disease are written at an inappropriately high reading level. Academic sites contain both the most accurate and the most difficult to read information. Private sites represented the majority of our top results but contained the least accurate information. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Third Molars on the Internet: A Guide for Assessing Information Quality and Readability.

PubMed

Hanna, Kamal; Brennan, David; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason

2015-10-06

Directing patients suffering from third molars (TMs) problems to high-quality online information is not only medically important, but also could enable better engagement in shared decision making. This study aimed to develop a scale that measures the scientific information quality (SIQ) for online information concerning wisdom tooth problems and to conduct a quality evaluation for online TMs resources. In addition, the study evaluated whether a specific piece of readability software (Readability Studio Professional 2012) might be reliable in measuring information comprehension, and explored predictors for the SIQ Scale. A cross-sectional sample of websites was retrieved using certain keywords and phrases such as "impacted wisdom tooth problems" using 3 popular search engines. The retrieved websites (n=150) were filtered. The retained 50 websites were evaluated to assess their characteristics, usability, accessibility, trust, readability, SIQ, and their credibility using DISCERN and Health on the Net Code (HoNCode). Websites' mean scale scores varied significantly across website affiliation groups such as governmental, commercial, and treatment provider bodies. The SIQ Scale had a good internal consistency (alpha=.85) and was significantly correlated with DISCERN (r=.82, P<.01) and HoNCode (r=.38, P<.01). Less than 25% of websites had SIQ scores above 75%. The mean readability grade (10.3, SD 1.9) was above the recommended level, and was significantly correlated with the Scientific Information Comprehension Scale (r=.45. P<.01), which provides evidence for convergent validity. Website affiliation and DISCERN were significantly associated with SIQ (P<.01) and explained 76% of the SIQ variance. The developed SIQ Scale was found to demonstrate reliability and initial validity. Website affiliation, DISCERN, and HoNCode were significant predictors for the quality of scientific information. The Readability Studio software estimates were associated with scientific information comprehensiveness measures.

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials Related to IR.

PubMed

McEnteggart, Gregory E; Naeem, Muhammad; Skierkowski, Dorothy; Baird, Grayson L; Ahn, Sun H; Soares, Gregory

2015-08-01

To assess the readability of online patient education materials (OPEM) related to common diseases treated by and procedures performed by interventional radiology (IR). The following websites were chosen based on their average Google search return for each IR OPEM content area examined in this study: Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), National Library of Medicine, RadiologyInfo, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and Wikipedia. IR OPEM content area was assessed for the following: peripheral arterial disease, central venous catheter, varicocele, uterine artery embolization, vertebroplasty, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and deep vein thrombosis. The following algorithms were used to estimate and compare readability levels: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Formula, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Coleman-Liau Index. Data were analyzed using general mixed modeling. On average, online sources that required beyond high school grade-level readability were Wikipedia (15.0), SIR (14.2), and RadiologyInfo (12.4); sources that required high school grade-level readability were CIRSE (11.3), Mayo Clinic (11.0), WebMD (10.6), and National Library of Medicine (9.0). On average, OPEM on uterine artery embolization, vertebroplasty, varicocele, and peripheral arterial disease required the highest level of readability (12.5, 12.3, 12.3, and 12.2, respectively). The IR OPEM assessed in this study were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level and the health literacy level of the average American adult. Many patients in the general public may not have the ability to read and understand health information in IR OPEM. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online patient information from radiation oncology departments is too complex for the general population.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Stephen A; Francis, David M; Hullet, Craig R; Morris, Zachary S; Brower, Jeffrey V; Anderson, Bethany M; Bradley, Kristin A; Bassetti, Michael F; Kimple, Randall J

Nearly two-thirds of cancer patients seek information about their diagnosis online. We assessed the readability of online patient education materials found on academic radiation oncology department Web sites to determine whether they adhered to guidelines suggesting that information be presented at a sixth-grade reading level. The Association of American Medical Colleges Web site was used to identify all academic radiation oncology departments in the United States. One-third of these department Web sites were selected for analysis using a random number generator. Both general information on radiation therapy and specific information regarding various radiation modalities were collected. To test the hypothesis that the readability of these online educational materials was written at the recommended grade level, a panel of 10 common readability tests was used. A composite grade level of readability was constructed using the 8 readability measures that provide a single grade-level output. A mean of 5605 words (range, 2058-12,837) from 30 department Web sites was collected. Using the composite grade level score, the overall mean readability level was determined to be 13.36 (12.83-13.89), corresponding to a collegiate reading level. This was significantly higher than the target sixth-grade reading level (middle school, t (29) = 27.41, P < .001). Online patient educational materials from academic radiation oncology Web sites are significantly more complex than recommended by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. To improve patients' comprehension of radiation therapy and its role in their treatment, our analysis suggests that the language used in online patient information should be simplified to communicate the information at a more appropriate level. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Readability of Shoulder and Elbow Patient Education Materials within Orthopaedic Websites.

PubMed

Beutel, Bryan G; Danna, Natalie R; Melamed, Eitan; Capo, John T

2015-12-01

There is growing concern that the readability of online orthopaedic patient education materials are too difficult for the general public to fully understand. It is recommended that this information be at the sixth grade reading level or lower. This study compared the readability of shoulder and elbow education articles from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) websites. Seventy-six patient education articles from the AAOS and ASSH concerning shoulder and elbow disorders were evaluated. Each article was assessed for the number of years since its last update, word count, percentage of passive sentences, Flesch Reading Ease score, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade, and New Dale-Chall grade level. Only one article was at or below the sixth grade reading level. The AAOS and ASSH articles had the following respective scores: a mean Flesch Reading Ease score of 54.3 and 51.8, Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 9.4 and 10.3, SMOG grade of 8.5 and 9.4, and New Dale-Chall grade of 10.4 and 11.0. Articles from the AAOS were longer (p < 0.001), had a lower percentage of passive sentences (p < 0.001), and were more recently updated (p = 0.02) than their ASSH counterparts. Higher percentages of passive sentences were found to correlate with more difficult readability. Patient education materials regarding the shoulder and elbow on the AAOS and ASSH websites have readability scores above the recommended reading level. These may be too challenging for the majority of patients to read and consequently serve as a barrier to proper patient education. Reducing the percentage of passive sentences may serve as a novel target for improving readability.

Mobile applications and patient education: Are currently available GERD mobile apps sufficient?

PubMed

Bobian, Michael; Kandinov, Aron; El-Kashlan, Nour; Svider, Peter F; Folbe, Adam J; Mayerhoff, Ross; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Raza, S Naweed

2017-08-01

Despite the increasing role of mobile applications (apps) in patient education, there has been little inquiry evaluating the quality of these resources. Because poor health literacy has been associated with inferior health outcomes, evaluating the quality of patient education materials takes on great importance. Our objective was to employ validated readability tools for the evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) mobile apps. GERD-specific apps found in the Apple App Store (Apple Inc., Cupertino CA) were evaluated using the Readability Studio Professional Version 2015 for Windows (Oleander Software, Ltd, Vandalia, OH). All text was evaluated using nine validated algorithms measuring readability including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook grading, Gunning Fog index, Coleman-Liau, New Fog Count formula, Raygor Readability Estimate, FORCAST, Fry graph, and Flesch Reading Ease score. Average reading grade levels for individual GERD apps ranged from 9.6 to 12.9 (interquartile range 10.3-12). The average reading grade level for all apps analyzed was 11.1 ± 0.2 standard error of the mean (SEM), with an average Flesch Reading Ease score for all mobile apps analyzed of 51 ± 2.05 (SEM), falling into the "fairly difficult" category given by this measure. Raygor Readability estimates that most mobile apps have a reading grade level between 10 and 12, with the majority of this outcome due to long words. This analysis demonstrates the feasibility of assessing readability of mobile health apps. Our findings suggest significant gaps in potential comprehension between the apps analyzed and the average reader, diminishing the utility of these resources. We hope our findings influence future mobile health-related app development and thereby improve patient outcomes in GERD and other chronic diseases. NA. Laryngoscope, 127:1775-1779, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Method and apparatus for the simultaneous display and correlation of independently generated images

DOEpatents

Vaitekunas, Jeffrey J.; Roberts, Ronald A.

1991-01-01

An apparatus and method for location by location correlation of multiple images from Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and other sources. Multiple images of a material specimen are displayed on one or more monitors of an interactive graphics system. Specimen landmarks are located in each image and mapping functions from a reference image to each other image are calcuated using the landmark locations. A location selected by positioning a cursor in the reference image is mapped to the other images and location identifiers are simultaneously displayed in those images. Movement of the cursor in the reference image causes simultaneous movement of the location identifiers in the other images to positions corresponding to the location of the reference image cursor.

48 CFR 252.211-7003 - Item identification and valuation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., used to retrieve data encoded on machine-readable media. Concatenated unique item identifier means— (1... (or controlling) authority for the enterprise identifier. Item means a single hardware article or a...-readable means an automatic identification technology media, such as bar codes, contact memory buttons...

48 CFR 252.211-7003 - Item identification and valuation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., used to retrieve data encoded on machine-readable media. Concatenated unique item identifier means— (1... (or controlling) authority for the enterprise identifier. Item means a single hardware article or a...-readable means an automatic identification technology media, such as bar codes, contact memory buttons...

48 CFR 252.211-7003 - Item identification and valuation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., used to retrieve data encoded on machine-readable media. Concatenated unique item identifier means— (1... (or controlling) authority for the enterprise identifier. Item means a single hardware article or a...-readable means an automatic identification technology media, such as bar codes, contact memory buttons...

Readability of self-illuminated signs obscured by black fuel-fire smoke.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-07-01

This study, using black fuel-fire generated smoke, is a partial replication of an earlier study using an inert white smoke as the obscuring agent in the study of the readability of smoke-obscured, self-illuminated emergency exit signs. : The results ...

Assessment of the quality and content of website health information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms.

PubMed

Sowter, Julie; Astin, Felicity; Dye, Louise; Marshall, Paul; Knapp, Peter

2016-06-01

To assess the quality, readability and coverage of website information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms. A purposive sample of commercial and non-commercial websites was assessed for quality (DISCERN), readability (SMOG) and information coverage. Non-parametric and parametric tests were used to explain the variability of these factors across types of websites and to assess associations between website quality and information coverage. 39 sites were assessed. Median quality and information coverage scores were 44/80 and 11/30 respectively. The median readability score was 18.7, similar to UK broadsheets. Commercial websites scored significantly lower on quality (p=0.014), but there were no statistical differences for information coverage or readability. There was a significant positive correlation between information quality and coverage scores irrespective of website provider (r=0.69, p<0.001, n=39). Overall website quality and information coverage are poor and the required reading level high. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are condom instructions readable? Results of a readability study.

PubMed Central

Richwald, G A; Wamsley, M A; Coulson, A H; Morisky, D E

1988-01-01

The use of condoms has assumed a central position in the current strategy to prevent sexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. The effectiveness of condoms in disease prophylaxis is dependent, to a degree, on their correct use. Condom manufacturers routinely include information on condom use either printed on the actual package or in an enclosed package insert. With the use of three readability formulas, the reading grade level was determined for 14 different sets of instructions included with 25 brands of condoms manufactured by 7 domestic and 1 overseas manufacturer. The readability formulas, when applied to instructions for condom use, estimated that, conservatively, 8 of the 14 instructions required at least reading at the level of a high school graduate and none required less than a 10th grade level. Clearly written instructions and simple concepts could assist current and future condom users in the correct use of condoms and improve the effectiveness of condoms in the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. PMID:3136494

Nuclear Medicine and Resources for Patients: How Complex are Online Patient Educational Materials?

PubMed

Hansberry, David R; Shah, Kush; Agarwal, Nitin; Kim, Sung M; Intenzo, Charles M

2018-02-02

The Internet is a major source of healthcare information for patients. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that consumer healthcare websites be written between a 3rd and 7th grade level. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of readability of patient education websites pertaining to nuclear medicine. Methods: Ten search terms were Googled and the top 10 links for each term were collected and analyzed for their level of readability using 10 well-established readability scales. Results: Collectively the 99 articles were written at an 11.8 grade level (standard deviation of 3.4). Only 5 of the 99 articles were written at the NIH and AMA recommended 3rd to 7th grade. Conclusion: There is a clear discordance between the readability level of nuclear medicine related imaging terms with the NIH and AMA guidelines. This disconnect may negatively impact patient understanding contributing to poor health outcomes. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Readability assessment of online thyroid surgery patient education materials.

PubMed

Patel, Chirag R; Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-10-01

Published guidelines recommend written health information be written at or below the sixth-grade level. We evaluate the readability of online materials related to thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery materials were evaluated using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Thirty-one documents were evaluated. FRES scores ranged from 29.3 to 67.8 (possible range = 0 to 100), and averaged 50.5. FKGL ranged from 6.9 to 14.9 (possible range = 3 to 12), and averaged 10.4. SMOG scores ranged from 11.8 to 14.5 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.0. GFOG scores ranged from 10.6 to 18.0 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.5. Readability scores for online thyroid surgery materials are higher (i.e., more difficult) than the recommended levels. However, readability is only one aspect of comprehension. Written information should be designed with that fact in mind. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Quality and readability of information materials for people with brain tumours and their families.

PubMed

Langbecker, Danette; Janda, Monika

2012-12-01

Written information is commonly used to inform patients about their disease and treatment but must be evidence-based and understandable to be useful. This study assessed the quality of the content and the readability of information brochures for people affected by brain tumours. We randomly selected 18 publicly available brochures. Brochures were assessed by criteria to assess the quality of content using the DISCERN instrument. Readability was tested using three commonly used formulas, which yield the reading grade level required to comprehend the brochure (sixth grade level recommended). The mean overall DISCERN score was 3.17 out of a maximum of 5 (moderate quality); only one achieved a rating greater than 4 (high quality). Only one brochure met the sixth grade readability criteria. Although brochures may have accurate content, few satisfied all of the recommended criteria to evaluate their content. Existing brochures need to be critically reviewed and simplified and consumer-focused brochures, produced.

Accuracy and readability of cardiovascular entries on Wikipedia: are they reliable learning resources for medical students?

PubMed

Azer, Samy A; AlSwaidan, Nourah M; Alshwairikh, Lama A; AlShammari, Jumana M

2015-10-06

To evaluate accuracy of content and readability level of English Wikipedia articles on cardiovascular diseases, using quality and readability tools. Wikipedia was searched on the 6 October 2013 for articles on cardiovascular diseases. Using a modified DISCERN (DISCERN is an instrument widely used in assessing online resources), articles were independently scored by three assessors. The readability was calculated using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The inter-rater agreement between evaluators was calculated using the Fleiss κ scale. This study was based on 47 English Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases. The DISCERN scores had a median=33 (IQR=6). Four articles (8.5%) were of good quality (DISCERN score 40-50), 39 (83%) moderate (DISCERN 30-39) and 4 (8.5%) were poor (DISCERN 10-29). Although the entries covered the aetiology and the clinical picture, there were deficiencies in the pathophysiology of diseases, signs and symptoms, diagnostic approaches and treatment. The number of references varied from 1 to 127 references; 25.9±29.4 (mean±SD). Several problems were identified in the list of references and citations made in the articles. The readability of articles was 14.3±1.7 (mean±SD); consistent with the readability level for college students. In comparison, Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 18th edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level. The overall agreement between the evaluators was good (Fleiss κ 0.718 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.83). The Wikipedia entries are not aimed at a medical audience and should not be used as a substitute to recommended medical resources. Course designers and students should be aware that Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases lack accuracy, predominantly due to errors of omission. Further improvement of the Wikipedia content of cardiovascular entries would be needed before they could be considered a supplementary resource. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

3D X-Ray Nanotomography of Cells Grown on Electrospun Scaffolds.

PubMed

Bradley, Robert S; Robinson, Ian K; Yusuf, Mohammed

2017-02-01

Here, it is demonstrated that X-ray nanotomography with Zernike phase contrast can be used for 3D imaging of cells grown on electrospun polymer scaffolds. The scaffold fibers and cells are simultaneously imaged, enabling the influence of scaffold architecture on cell location and morphology to be studied. The high resolution enables subcellular details to be revealed. The X-ray imaging conditions were optimized to reduce scan times, making it feasible to scan multiple regions of interest in relatively large samples. An image processing procedure is presented which enables scaffold characteristics and cell location to be quantified. The procedure is demonstrated by comparing the ingrowth of cells after culture for 3 and 6 days. © 2016 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multi beam observations of cosmic radio noise using a VHF radar with beam forming by a Butler matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renkwitz, T.; Singer, W.; Latteck, R.; Rapp, M.

2011-08-01

The Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) in Kühlungsborn started to install a new MST radar on the North-Norwegian island Andøya (69.30° N, 16.04° E) in 2009. The new Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) replaces the previous ALWIN radar which has been successfully operated for more than 10 years. The MAARSY radar provides increased temporal and spatial resolution combined with a flexible sequential point-to-point steering of the radar beam. To increase the spatiotemporal resolution of the observations a 16-port Butler matrix has been built and implemented to the radar. In conjunction with 64 Yagi antennas of the former ALWIN antenna array the Butler matrix simultaneously provides 16 individual beams. The beam forming capability of the Butler matrix arrangement has been verified observing the galactic cosmic radio noise of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Furthermore, this multi beam configuration has been used in passive experiments to estimate the cosmic noise absorption at 53.5 MHz during events of enhanced solar and geomagnetic activity as indicators for enhanced ionization at altitudes below 90 km. These observations are well correlated with simultaneous observations of corresponding beams of the co-located imaging riometer AIRIS (69.14° N, 16.02° E) at 38.2 MHz. In addition, enhanced cosmic noise absorption goes along with enhanced electron densities at altitudes below about 90 km as observed with the co-located Saura MF radar using differential absorption and differential phase measurements.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Revised S210 Catalog of Far-Ultraviolet Objects (Page, Carruthers and Heckathorn 1982)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

A detailed description of the machine-readable revised catalog as it is currently being distributed from the Astronomical Data Center is given. This catalog of star images was compiled from imagery obtained by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Far-Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph (Experiments S201) operated from 21 to 23 April 1972 on the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission. The documentation includes a detailed data format description, a table of indigenous characteristics of the magnetic tape file, and a sample listing of data records exactly as they are presented in the machine-readable version.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shettel, D.L. Jr.; Langfeldt, S.L.; Youngquist, C.A.

This report presents a Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance of the Christian NTMS Quadrangle, Alaska. In addition to this abbreviated data release, more complete data are available to the public in machine-readable form. These machine-readable data, as well as quarterly or semiannual program progress reports containing further information on the HSSR program in general, or on the Los Alamos National Laboratory portion of the program in particular, are available from DOE's Technical Library at its Grand Junction Area Office. Presented in this data release are location data, field analyses, and laboratory analyses of several different sample media. For the sakemore » of brevity, many field site observations have not been included in this volume; these data are, however, available on the magnetic tape. Appendices A through D describe the sample media and summarize the analytical results for each medium. The data have been subdivided by one of the Los Alamos National Laboratory sorting programs of Zinkl and others (1981a) into groups of stream-sediment, lake-sediment, stream-water, lake-water, and ground-water samples. For each group which contains a sufficient number of observations, statistical tables, tables of raw data, and 1:1,000,000 scale maps of pertinent elements have been included in this report. Also included are maps showing results of multivariate statistical analyses.« less

48 CFR 252.211-7003 - Item unique identification and valuation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... reader or interrogator, used to retrieve data encoded on machine-readable media. Concatenated unique item... identifier. Item means a single hardware article or a single unit formed by a grouping of subassemblies... manufactured under identical conditions. Machine-readable means an automatic identification technology media...

Reference Manual for Machine-Readable Bibliographic Descriptions. Second Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierickx, H., Ed.; Hopkinson, A., Ed.

A product of the UNISIST International Centre for Bibliographic Descriptions (UNIBIB), this reference manual presents a standardized communication format for the exchange of machine-readable bibliographic information between bibliographic databases or other types of bibliographic information services, including libraries. The manual is produced in…

Critical Analysis of the Quality, Readability, and Technical Aspects of Online Information Provided for Neck-Lifts.

PubMed

Rayess, Hani; Zuliani, Giancarlo F; Gupta, Amar; Svider, Peter F; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Carron, Michael A

2017-03-01

The number of patients using the internet to obtain health information is growing. This material is unregulated and heterogeneous and can influence patient decisions. To compare the quality, readability, and technical aspects of online information about neck-lifts provided by private practice websites vs academic medical centers and reference sources. In this cross-sectional analysis conducted between November 2015 and January 2016, a Google search of the term neck-lift was performed, and the first 45 websites were evaluated. The websites were categorized as private practice vs other. Private websites (PWs) included sites created by private practice physicians. Other websites (OWs) were created by academic medical centers or reference sources. Quality, readability, and technical aspects of online websites related to neck-lifts. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net principles (HONcode). Readability was assessed using 7 validated and widely used criteria. Consensus US reading grade level readability was provided by a website (readabilityformulas.com). Twelve technical aspects were evaluated based on criteria specified by medical website creators. Forty-five websites (8 OWs [18%] and 37 PWs [82%]) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in quality between OWs and PWs based on the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The DISCERN overall mean (SD) scores were 2.3 (0.5) for OWs and 1.3 (0.3) for PWs (P < .001). Of a total possible score of 14 using the HONcode analysis, the mean (SD) was 8.6 (1.8) (range, 5-11) for OW, and the mean (SD) was 5.8 (1.7) (range, 2-9) for PW. The mean (SD) readability consensus reading grade level scores were 11.7 (1.9) for OWs and 10.6 (1.9) for PWs. Of a total possible score of 12, the mean (SD) technical scores were 6.3 (1.8) (range, 4-9) for OWs and 6.4 (1.5) (range, 3-9) for PWs. Compared with PWs, OWs had a significantly higher quality score based on both the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The mean readability for OWs and PWs was grade 11 and grade 10, respectively, significantly higher than the grade 7 level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Assessment of technical criteria demonstrated room for improvement in providing links to social media and blogs and reducing advertisements. Improving the quality and readability of online information may result in increased patient understanding, more active patient involvement, and ultimately better outcomes. Enhancing the technical aspects of websites may increase website traffic and patient volume. NA.

Online Tonsillectomy Resources: Are Parents Getting Consistent and Readable Recommendations?

PubMed

Wozney, Lori; Chorney, Jill; Huguet, Anna; Song, Jin Soo; Boss, Emily F; Hong, Paul

2017-05-01

Objective Parents frequently refer to information on the Internet to confirm or broaden their understanding of surgical procedures and to research postoperative care practices. Our study evaluated the readability, comprehensiveness, and consistency around online recommendations directed at parents of children undergoing tonsillectomy. Study Design A cross-sectional study design was employed. Setting Thirty English-language Internet websites. Subjects and Methods Three validated measures of readability were applied and content analysis was employed to evaluate the comprehensiveness of information in domains of perioperative education. Frequency effect sizes and percentile ranks were calculated to measure dispersion of recommendations across sites. Results The mean readability level of all sites was above a grade 10 level with fewer than half of the sites (n = 14, 47%) scoring at or below the eight-grade level. Provided information was often incomplete with a noted lack of psychosocial support and skills-training recommendations. Content analysis showed 67 unique recommendations spanning the full perioperative period. Most recommendations had low consensus, being reported in 5 or fewer sites (frequency effect size <16%). Conclusion Many online parent-focused resources do not meet readability recommendations, portray incomplete education about perioperative care and expectations, and provide recommendations with low levels of consensus. Up-to-date mapping of the research evidence around recommendations is needed as well as improved efforts to make online information easier to read.

Development of SMOG-Cro readability formula for healthcare communication and patient education.

PubMed

Brangan, Sanja

2015-03-01

Effective communication shows a positive impact on patient satisfaction, compliance and medical outcomes, at the same time reducing the healthcare costs. Written information for patients needs to correspond to health literacy levels of the intended audiences. Readability formulas correlate well with the reading and comprehension tests but are considered an easier and quicker method to estimate a text difficulty. SMOG readability formula designed for English language needs to be modified if used for texts in other languages. The aim of this study was to develop a readability formula based on SMOG, that could be used to estimate text difficulty of written materials for patients in Croatian language. Contras- tive analysis of English and Croatian language covering a corpus of almost 100,000 running words showed clear linguis- tic differences in the number of polysyllabic words. The new formula, named SMOG-Cro, is presented as an equation: SMOG-Cro = 2 + √4+ syllables, with the score showing the number of years of education a person needs to be able to understand a piece of writing. The presented methodology could help in the development of readability formulas for other languages. We hope the results of this study are soon put into practice for more effective healthcare communication and patient education, and for development of a health literacy assessment tool in Croatian language.

Readability of consumer health information on the internet: a comparison of U.S. government-funded and commercially funded websites.

PubMed

Risoldi Cochrane, Zara; Gregory, Philip; Wilson, Amy

2012-01-01

The Internet has become an extremely prevalent means of communicating health information to consumers. Guidelines for selecting reliable health information websites give preference to U.S. government sites over commercially funded sites. However, these websites are not useful to consumers unless they are able to read and understand them. The authors' objective was to compare the readability of Internet health information intended for consumers found on U.S. government-funded websites versus that found on commercially funded websites. Consumer health websites were identified through a systematic Internet search. Webpages for 10 common health topics were extracted from each website. Readability of webpages was determined by 3 validated measures: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level, and SMOG Formula. Mean readability of government-funded and commercially funded websites was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Commercially funded websites were significantly more difficult to read as measured by Flesch Reading Ease (49.7 vs. 55.6 for government-funded sites, p = .002) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level (10.1 vs. 9.3, p = .012). There was no significant difference according to SMOG Formula (12.8 vs. 13.2, p = .150). The overall readability of Internet health information intended for consumers was poor. Efforts should be made to ensure that health information communicated via the Internet is easy for consumers to read and understand.

Health Literacy Demands of Patient-Reported Evaluation Tools in Orthopedics: A Mixed-Methods Case Study.

PubMed

Hadden, Kristie; Prince, Latrina Y; Barnes, C Lowry

In response to an assessment of organizational health literacy practices at a major academic health center, this case study evaluated the health literacy demands of patient-reported outcome measures commonly used in orthopedic surgery practices to identify areas for improvement. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the readability and patient feedback of orthopedic patient-reported outcome materials. Qualitative results were derived from focus group notes, observations, recordings, and consensus documents. Results were combined to formulate recommendations for quality improvement. Readability results indicated that narrative portions of sample patient outcome tools were written within or below the recommended eighth-grade reading level (= 5.9). However, document literacy results were higher than the recommended reading level (= 9.8). Focus group results revealed that participants had consensus on 8 of 12 plain language best practices, including use of bullet lists and jargon or technical words in both instruments. Although the typical readability of both instruments was not exceedingly high, appropriate readability formula and assessment methods gave a more comprehensive assessment of true readability. In addition, participant feedback revealed the need to reduce jargon and improve formatting to lessen the health literacy demands on patients. As clinicians turn more toward patient-reported measures to assess health care quality, it is important to consider the health literacy demands that are inherent in the instruments they are given in our health systems.

Evaluation of the Informational Content, Readability and Comprehensibility of Online Health Information on Monogenic Diabetes.

PubMed

Guan, Yue; Maloney, Kristin A; Roter, Debra L; Pollin, Toni I

2018-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the informational content, readability, suitability and comprehensibility of websites offering educational information about monogenic diabetes available to patients. The top 20 results from 15 queries in four search engines were screened. Content analysis was performed by two independent coders. Readability was determined using Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL) and Simplified Measure of Goobledygook (SMOG). The Comprehensibility Assessment of Materials (SAM + CAM) scale was utilized to evaluate website suitability and comprehensibility. Only 2% (N = 29) of 1200 screened websites met inclusion criteria. Content analysis showed that 16 websites presented information on at least the most common forms of MODY (1, 2 and 3), four addressed the utility of genetic counseling, and none included support resources for patients. All websites exceeded the consensus readability level (6th grade) as assessed by FKGL (10.1 grade) and SMOG (12.8 ± 1.5 grades). Although the majority (N = 20) of websites had an overall "adequate" to "superior" quality score (SAM + CAM score > = 40%), more than one-third scored "not suitable" in categories of content, literacy demand, graphics, and learning motivation. The online educational resources for monogenic diabetes have a high readability level and require improvement in ease of use and comprehensibility for patients with diabetes.

[Systematic Readability Analysis of Medical Texts on Websites of German University Clinics for General and Abdominal Surgery].

PubMed

Esfahani, B Janghorban; Faron, A; Roth, K S; Grimminger, P P; Luers, J C

2016-12-01

Background: Besides the function as one of the main contact points, websites of hospitals serve as medical information portals. As medical information texts should be understood by any patients independent of the literacy skills and educational level, online texts should have an appropriate structure to ease understandability. Materials and Methods: Patient information texts on websites of clinics for general surgery at German university hospitals (n = 36) were systematically analysed. For 9 different surgical topics representative medical information texts were extracted from each website. Using common readability tools and 5 different readability indices the texts were analysed concerning their readability and structure. The analysis was furthermore stratified in relation to geographical regions in Germany. Results: For the definite analysis the texts of 196 internet websites could be used. On average the texts consisted of 25 sentences and 368 words. The reading analysis tools congruously showed that all texts showed a rather low readability demanding a high literacy level from the readers. Conclusion: Patient information texts on German university hospital websites are difficult to understand for most patients. To fulfill the ambition of informing the general population in an adequate way about medical issues, a revision of most medical texts on websites of German surgical hospitals is recommended. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Design and development of a probe-based multiplexed multi-species absorption spectroscopy sensor for characterizing transient gas-parameter distributions in the intake systems of I.C. engines

DOE PAGES

Jatana, Gurneesh; Geckler, Sam; Koeberlein, David; ...

2016-09-01

We designed and developed a 4-probe multiplexed multi-species absorption spectroscopy sensor system for gas property measurements on the intake side of commercial multi-cylinder internal-combustion (I.C.) engines; the resulting cycle- and cylinder-resolved concentration, temperature and pressure measurements are applicable for assessing spatial and temporal variations in the recirculated exhaust gas (EGR) distribution at various locations along the intake gas path, which in turn is relevant to assessing cylinder charge uniformity, control strategies, and CFD models. Furthermore, the diagnostic is based on absorption spectroscopy and includes an H 2O absorption system (utilizing a 1.39 m distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser) for measuringmore » gas temperature, pressure, and H 2O concentration, and a CO 2 absorption system (utilizing a 2.7 m DFB laser) for measuring CO 2 concentration. The various lasers, optical components and detectors were housed in an instrument box, and the 1.39- m and 2.7- m lasers were guided to and from the engine-mounted probes via optical fibers and hollow waveguides, respectively. The 5kHz measurement bandwidth allows for near-crank angle resolved measurements, with a resolution of 1.2 crank angle degrees at 1000 RPM. Our use of compact stainless steel measurement probes enables simultaneous multi-point measurements at various locations on the engine with minimal changes to the base engine hardware; in addition to resolving large-scale spatial variations via simultaneous multi-probe measurements, local spatial gradients can be resolved by translating individual probes. Along with details of various sensor design features and performance, we also demonstrate validation of the spectral parameters of the associated CO 2 absorption transitions using both a multi-pass heated cell and the sensor probes.« less

The Varied Uses of Readability Measurement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Edward

Readability formulas have varied uses. In education they are used to match children's reading ability to the difficulty level of material, select stories and books for classroom use and for individual students' particular needs, select textbooks and other reading materials, aid educational research, and check reading materials of newly literate…

An Analysis of the Readability of Financial Accounting Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Gerald; And Others

1981-01-01

The Flesch formula was used to calculate the readability of 15 financial accounting textbooks. The 15 textbooks represented introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels and also were classified by five different publishers. Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc analysis revealed some significant differences. (Author/CT)

Readability of Directions on Potentially Hazardous Household Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyrczak, Fred

1976-01-01

The study focused on an analysis of the readability of directions on harmful household products. High school students' reading ability was tested using eight sets of sample directions. The results of the study indicate a need for improving the students' ability to read directions on such products. (EC)

Item Readability and Science Achievement in TIMSS 2003 in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dempster, Edith R.; Reddy, Vijay

2007-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between readability of 73 text-only multiple-choice questions from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 and performance of two groups of South African learners: those with limited English-language proficiency (learners attending African schools) and those with better…

Readability of Informed Consent Documents at University Counseling Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lustgarten, Samuel D.; Elchert, Daniel M.; Cederberg, Charles; Garrison, Yunkyoung L.; Ho, Y. C. S.

2017-01-01

The extent to which clients understand the nature and anticipated course of therapy is referred to as informed consent. Counseling psychologists often provide informed consent documents to enhance the education of services and for liability purposes. Professionals in numerous health care settings have evaluated the readability of their informed…

How Readable Are Parenting Books?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abram, Marie J.; Dowling, William D.

1979-01-01

The author's style of writing has implications for the ease with which the written material can be read. Using the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, the mean readability score, the standard deviation, and range are given for 50 parenting books. Discussion suggests how the list might be used by parent educators. (Author)

17 CFR 1.31 - Books and records; keeping and inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., easily readable projection or production of micrographic media or electronic storage media images; (ii... keep such records, any easily readable hard-copy image that representatives of the Commission or... such records, copies of such records on such compatible data processing media as defined in § 15.00(d...

17 CFR 1.31 - Books and records; keeping and inspection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., easily readable projection or production of micrographic media or electronic storage media images; (ii... keep such records, any easily readable hard-copy image that representatives of the Commission or... such records, copies of such records on such compatible data processing media as defined in § 15.00(d...

Factors Influencing the Readability of Student-Generated Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, JoBeth

An investigation examined student-generated texts in terms of both traditional and more theoretically valid readability to determine what factors influence comprehension when children read their own, peer, and adult-written texts. Seventy dictated stories created in an earlier study, along with 4 first-grade level stories from the "Reader's…

A Readability Analysis of Selected Introductory Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Daniel J.; Thompson, G. Rodney

1981-01-01

To aid secondary school and college level economics teachers as they select textbooks for introductory economics courses, this article recounts how teachers can use the Flesch Reading Ease Test to measure readability. Data are presented on application of the Flesch Reading Ease Test to 15 introductory economics textbooks. (Author/DB)

BLS Machine-Readable Data and Tabulating Routines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiFillipo, Tony

This report describes the machine-readable data and tabulating routines that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is prepared to distribute. An introduction discusses the LABSTAT (Labor Statistics) database and the BLS policy on release of unpublished data. Descriptions summarizing data stored in 25 files follow this format: overview, data…

Readability Analyses of Selected Vocational Texts. Teaching Basic Skills through Vocational Education. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, James A.; And Others

This report provides vocational teachers with readability information for selected vocational texts. Selected texts are categorized and appear in charts according to 21 vocational programs: accounting, air conditioning and refrigeration, automotive shop (automotive body and fender repair, automotive mechanics), aviation shop, business, carpentry,…

Tools for Assessing Readability of Statistics Teaching Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesser, Lawrence; Wagler, Amy

2016-01-01

This article provides tools and rationale for instructors in math and science to make their assessment and curriculum materials (more) readable for students. The tools discussed (MSWord, LexTutor, Coh-Metrix TEA) are readily available linguistic analysis applications that are grounded in current linguistic theory, but present output that can…

Testing a Readable Writing Approach to Text Revision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Thomas M.; Kabance, Paula

1982-01-01

The present findings imply that a readability formula is not an effective writing production criterion, even when the writer does not deliberately write to the formula. Comprehensibility of text might be better controlled through the proper use of the transformer concept (MacDonald-Ross and Waller). (Author/PN)

Readability of alphanumeric characters having various contrast levels as a function of age and illumination mode.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-07-01

Readability data of alphanumeric characters that vary in figure-to- ground contrast ratio were obtained from 36 subjects; 12 subjects were placed in each of three age groups (20-25 yr, 40-45 yr, and 60-65 yr). Minimum illuminance required to identify...

The SEER Readability Technique: How Practicable is It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffelmeyer, Frederick A.

1982-01-01

Evaluates the practicability of the Singer Eyeball Estimate of Readability (SEER) techniques with 32 college students. Reveals that only two of the students met SEER's criterion for being considered acceptable judges. Concludes that the criterion is overly stringent and proposes a revised criterion designed to make the SEER technique more…

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the AGK3 Star Catalogue of Positions and Proper Motions North of -2 deg .5 declination (Dieckvoss and Collaborators 1975)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

A detailed description of the machine-readable astronomical catalog as it is currently being distributed from the Astronomical Data Center is given. Stellar motions and positions are listed herein in tabular form.

Unreadable and Underreported: Can College Students Comprehend How to Report Sexual Assault?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Zachary W.

2018-01-01

Longitudinal research has suggested that sexual assault on college campuses is widespread and grossly underreported. To date, scholars have not examined a seemingly commonsense aspect of sexual assault reporting: the readability of the reporting instructions themselves; therefore, in this study the author examined the readability--using four…

PREFACE: Anti-counterfeit Image Analysis Methods (A Special Session of ICSXII)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javidi, B.; Fournel, T.

2007-06-01

The International Congress for Stereology is dedicated to theoretical and applied aspects of stochastic tools, image analysis and mathematical morphology. A special emphasis on `anti-counterfeit image analysis methods' has been given this year for the XIIth edition (ICSXII). Facing the economic and social threat of counterfeiting, this devoted session presents recent advances and original solutions in the field. A first group of methods are related to marks located either on the product (physical marks) or on the data (hidden information) to be protected. These methods concern laser fs 3D encoding and source separation for machine-readable identification, moiré and `guilloche' engraving for visual verification and watermarking. Machine-readable travel documents are well-suited examples introducing the second group of methods which are related to cryptography. Used in passports for data authentication and identification (of people), cryptography provides some powerful tools. Opto-digital processing allows some efficient implementations described in the papers and promising applications. We would like to thank the reviewers who have contributed to a session of high quality, and the authors for their fine and hard work. We would like to address some special thanks to the invited lecturers, namely Professor Roger Hersch and Dr Isaac Amidror for their survey of moiré methods, Prof. Serge Vaudenay for his survey of existing protocols concerning machine-readable travel documents, and Dr Elisabet Pérez-Cabré for her presentation on optical encryption for multifactor authentication. We also thank Professor Dominique Jeulin, President of the International Society for Stereology, Professor Michel Jourlin, President of the organizing committee of ICSXII, for their help and advice, and Mr Graham Douglas, the Publisher of Journal of Physics: Conference Series at IOP Publishing, for his efficiency. We hope that this collection of papers will be useful as a tool to further develop a very important field. Bahram Javidi University of Connecticut (USA) Thierry Fournel University of Saint-Etienne (France) Chairs of the special session on `Anti-counterfeit image analysis methods', July 2007

Readability of Orthopaedic Patient-reported Outcome Measures: Is There a Fundamental Failure to Communicate?

PubMed

Perez, Jorge L; Mosher, Zachary A; Watson, Shawna L; Sheppard, Evan D; Brabston, Eugene W; McGwin, Gerald; Ponce, Brent A

2017-08-01

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used to quantify patients' perceptions of functional ability. The American Medical Association and NIH suggest patient materials be written at or below 6th to 8th grade reading levels, respectively, yet one recent study asserts that few PROMs comply with these recommendations, and suggests that the majority of PROMs are written at too high of a reading level for self-administered patient use. Notably, this study was limited in its use of only one readability algorithm, although there is no commonly accepted, standard readability algorithm for healthcare-related materials. Our study, using multiple readability equations and heeding equal weight to each, hopes to yield a broader, all-encompassing estimate of readability, thereby offering a more accurate assessment of the readability of orthopaedic PROMS. (1) What proportion of orthopaedic-related PROMs and orthopaedic-related portions of the NIH Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® ) are written at or below the 6th and 8th grade levels? (2) Is there a correlation between the number of questions in the PROM and reading level? (3) Using systematic edits based on guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, what proportion of PROMs achieved American Medical Association and NIH-recommended reading levels? Eighty-six (86) independent, orthopaedic and general wellness PROMs, drawn from commonly referenced orthopaedic websites and prior studies, were chosen for analysis. Additionally, owing to their increasing use in orthopaedics, four relevant short forms, and 11 adult, physical health question banks from the PROMIS ® , were included for analysis. All documents were analyzed for reading grade levels using 19 unique readability algorithms. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS Version 22.0. The majority of the independent PROMs (64 of 86; 74%) were written at or below the 6th grade level, with 81 of 86 (94%) written at or below the 8th grade level. All item banks (11 of 11) and short forms (four of four) of the PROMIS ® were written below the 6th grade reading level. The median reading grade level of the 86 independent PROMs was 5.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 4.6-6.1). The PROMIS ® question banks had a median reading grade level of 4.1 (IQR, 3.5-4.8); the Adult Short Forms had a median reading grade level of 4.2 (IQR, 4.2-4.3) There was no correlation appreciated between the median reading grade level and the number of questions contained in a PROM (r = -0.081; p = 0.460). For PROMs above NIH-recommended levels, following edits, all (five of five) achieved NIH reading level goals and three (three of five) achieved American Medical Association goals. Editing of these PROMs improved readability by 4.3 median grade level (before, 8.9 [IQR, 8.4-9.1], after 4.6 [IQR, 4.6-6.4], difference of medians, 4.3; p = 0.008). Patient literacy has great influence on healthcare outcomes, and readability is an important consideration in all patient-directed written materials. Our study found that more than 70% of PROMs commonly used in orthopaedics, and all orthopaedic-related portions of the PROMIS ® are written at or below the most stringent recommendations (≤ 6th grade reading level), and more than 90% of independent PROMs and all PROMIS ® materials are written at or below an 8th grade level. Additionally, the use of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines for editing high reading level PROMs yields satisfactory results. Fears of widely incomprehensible PROMs may be unfounded. Future research to identify the most appropriate readability algorithm for use in the healthcare sector, and revalidation of PROMs after readability-improving edits is warranted.

Targeted Pressure Management During CO 2 Sequestration: Optimization of Well Placement and Brine Extraction

DOE PAGES

Cihan, Abdullah; Birkholzer, Jens; Bianchi, Marco

2014-12-31

Large-scale pressure increases resulting from carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection in the subsurface can potentially impact caprock integrity, induce reactivation of critically stressed faults, and drive CO 2 or brine through conductive features into shallow groundwater. Pressure management involving the extraction of native fluids from storage formations can be used to minimize pressure increases while maximizing CO2 storage. However, brine extraction requires pumping, transportation, possibly treatment, and disposal of substantial volumes of extracted brackish or saline water, all of which can be technically challenging and expensive. This paper describes a constrained differential evolution (CDE) algorithm for optimal well placement andmore » injection/ extraction control with the goal of minimizing brine extraction while achieving predefined pressure contraints. The CDE methodology was tested for a simple optimization problem whose solution can be partially obtained with a gradient-based optimization methodology. The CDE successfully estimated the true global optimum for both extraction well location and extraction rate, needed for the test problem. A more complex example application of the developed strategy was also presented for a hypothetical CO 2 storage scenario in a heterogeneous reservoir consisting of a critically stressed fault nearby an injection zone. Through the CDE optimization algorithm coupled to a numerical vertically-averaged reservoir model, we successfully estimated optimal rates and locations for CO 2 injection and brine extraction wells while simultaneously satisfying multiple pressure buildup constraints to avoid fault activation and caprock fracturing. The study shows that the CDE methodology is a very promising tool to solve also other optimization problems related to GCS, such as reducing ‘Area of Review’, monitoring design, reducing risk of leakage and increasing storage capacity and trapping.« less

Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Emily C.; Pedersen, Amy B.; Fenton, Andy; Petchey, Owen L.

2014-01-01

Simultaneous infection by multiple parasite species (viruses, bacteria, helminths, protozoa or fungi) is commonplace. Most reports show co-infected humans to have worse health than those with single infections. However, we have little understanding of how co-infecting parasites interact within human hosts. We used data from over 300 published studies to construct a network that offers the first broad indications of how groups of co-infecting parasites tend to interact. The network had three levels comprising parasites, the resources they consume and the immune responses they elicit, connected by potential, observed and experimentally proved links. Pairs of parasite species had most potential to interact indirectly through shared resources, rather than through immune responses or other parasites. In addition, the network comprised 10 tightly knit groups, eight of which were associated with particular body parts, and seven of which were dominated by parasite–resource links. Reported co-infection in humans is therefore structured by physical location within the body, with bottom-up, resource-mediated processes most often influencing how, where and which co-infecting parasites interact. The many indirect interactions show how treating an infection could affect other infections in co-infected patients, but the compartmentalized structure of the network will limit how far these indirect effects are likely to spread. PMID:24619434

Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources.

PubMed

Griffiths, Emily C; Pedersen, Amy B; Fenton, Andy; Petchey, Owen L

2014-05-07

Simultaneous infection by multiple parasite species (viruses, bacteria, helminths, protozoa or fungi) is commonplace. Most reports show co-infected humans to have worse health than those with single infections. However, we have little understanding of how co-infecting parasites interact within human hosts. We used data from over 300 published studies to construct a network that offers the first broad indications of how groups of co-infecting parasites tend to interact. The network had three levels comprising parasites, the resources they consume and the immune responses they elicit, connected by potential, observed and experimentally proved links. Pairs of parasite species had most potential to interact indirectly through shared resources, rather than through immune responses or other parasites. In addition, the network comprised 10 tightly knit groups, eight of which were associated with particular body parts, and seven of which were dominated by parasite-resource links. Reported co-infection in humans is therefore structured by physical location within the body, with bottom-up, resource-mediated processes most often influencing how, where and which co-infecting parasites interact. The many indirect interactions show how treating an infection could affect other infections in co-infected patients, but the compartmentalized structure of the network will limit how far these indirect effects are likely to spread.

Fingerprinting and simultaneous determination of alkaloids in Picrasma quassioides from different locations by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection.

PubMed

Liao, Hui-Jun; Lai, Zheng-Quan; Su, Ji-Yan; Yi, Yu-Yang; Li, Yu-Cui; Lai, Xiao-Ping; Su, Zi-Ren; Lin, Zhi-Xiu

2012-09-01

A simple and sensitive method was developed and validated for profiling and simultaneous quantitation of seven alkaloids (6-hydroxy-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid, β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid, β-carboline-1-propanoic acid, 3-methylcanthin-5,6-dione, 5-hydroxy-4-methoxycanthin-6-one, 1-methoxycarbony-β-carboline, and 4,5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one) in Picrasma quassioide grown in different locations by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. The analysis was conducted on a Phenomenex Gemini C(18) column at 35°C with mobile phase of 25 mM aqueous ammonium acetate (pH 4.0, adjusted by glacial acetate acid) and acetonitrile. A common fingerprint chromatograph under 254 nm consisting of 27 peaks was constructed for the evaluation of the similarities among 31 P. quassioide samples. Samples from Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces were found to be within group linkage and showed significant difference from that of Jiangxi Province origin by using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. In addition, the seven alkaloids were identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and comparing with reference standards and literature data. All of them were determined simultaneously using the established HPLC method. This rapid and effective analytical method could be employed for quality assessment of P. quassioide, as well as pharmaceutical products containing this herbal material. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Discriminability measures for predicting readability of text on textured backgrounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scharff, L. F.; Hill, A. L.; Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Watson, A. B. (Principal Investigator)

2000-01-01

Several discriminability measures were examined for their ability to predict reading search times for three levels of text contrast and a range of backgrounds (plain, a periodic texture, and four spatial-frequency-filtered textures created from the periodic texture). Search times indicate that these background variations only affect readability when the text contrast is low, and that spatial frequency content of the background affects readability. These results were not well predicted by the single variables of text contrast (Spearman rank correlation = -0.64) and background RMS contrast (0.08), but a global masking index and a spatial-frequency-selective masking index led to better predictions (-0.84 and -0.81, respectively). c2000 Optical Society of America.

Gray scale enhances display readability of bitmapped documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostberg, Olov; Disfors, Dennis; Feng, Yingduo

1994-05-01

Bitmapped images of high resolution, say 300 dpi rastered documents, stored in the memory of a PC are at best only borderline readable on the PC's display screen (say a 72 dpi VGA monitor). Results from a series of exploratory psycho-physical experiments, using the Adobe PhotoshopR software, show that the readability can be significantly enhanced by making use of the monitor's capability to display shades of gray. It is suggested that such a gray scale adaptation module should be bundled to all software products for electronic document management. In fact, fax modems are already available in which this principle is employed, hereby making it possible to read incoming fax documents directly on the screen.

MyPyramid.gov: assessment of literacy, cultural and linguistic factors in the USDA food pyramid web site.

PubMed

Neuhauser, Linda; Rothschild, Rebeccah; Rodríguez, Fátima M

2007-01-01

MyPyramid.gov, a major national Web site about healthful eating and physical activity, was analyzed for literacy, cultural, and linguistic factors relevant to consumers. The assessment used 4 standardized readability tests, 1 navigational test, availability of non-English content, and new criteria for cultural factors. Readability scores averaged between grade levels 8.8 and 10.8, and half the navigation criteria were met. The Web site was available in Spanish, but it had little cultural tailoring for English speakers. It is recommended that MyPyramid's readability, navigation, and cultural tailoring be improved. References are provided to help educators learn more about assessing and using Internet communication with diverse audiences.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the revised Catalogue of Stellar Rotational Velocities of Uesugi and Fukuda (1982)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1983-01-01

The machine-readable catalog provides mean data on the old Slettebak system for 6472 stars. The catalog results from the review, analysis and transformation of 11460 data from 102 sources. Star identification, (major catalog number, name if the star has one, or cluster identification, etc.), a man projected rotational velocity, and a list of source references re included. The references are given in a second file included with the catalog when it is distributed on magnetic tape. The contents and/formats of the the data and reference files of the machine-readable catalog are described to enable users to read and process the data.

Monitoring trace gases in downtown Toronto using open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, B.; Strong, K.; Colebatch, O.; Fogal, P.; Mittermeier, R. L.; Wunch, D.; Jones, D. B. A.

2017-12-01

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in urban environments can be highly heterogeneous. For example, vehicles produce point source emissions which can result in heterogeneous GHG concentrations on scales <10 m. The highly localized scale of these emissions can make it difficult to measure mean GHG concentrations on scales of 100-1000 m. Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) measurements offer spatial averaging and continuous measurements of several trace gases simultaneously in the same airmass. We have set up an open-path system in downtown Toronto to monitor trace gases in the urban boundary layer. Concentrations of CO2, CO, CH4, and N2O are derived from atmospheric absorption spectra recorded over a two-way atmospheric open path of 320 m using non-linear least squares fitting. Using a simple box model and co-located boundary layer height measurements, we estimate surface fluxes of these gases in downtown Toronto from our OP-FTIR observations.

Method of modifying a volume mesh using sheet insertion

DOEpatents

Borden, Michael J [Albuquerque, NM; Shepherd, Jason F [Albuquerque, NM

2006-08-29

A method and machine-readable medium provide a technique to modify a hexahedral finite element volume mesh using dual generation and sheet insertion. After generating a dual of a volume stack (mesh), a predetermined algorithm may be followed to modify (refine) the volume mesh of hexahedral elements. The predetermined algorithm may include the steps of locating a sheet of hexahedral mesh elements, determining a plurality of hexahedral elements within the sheet to refine, shrinking the plurality of elements, and inserting a new sheet of hexahedral elements adjacently to modify the volume mesh. Additionally, another predetermined algorithm using mesh cutting may be followed to modify a volume mesh.

Nitric acid and ammonia emissions from a mid-latitude prescribed wetlands fire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebel, P. J.; Cofer, W. R., III; Levine, J. S.; Vay, S. A.; Roberts, P. D.

1988-01-01

The first simultaneous measurements of gaseous nitric acid and ammonia in the smoke plume of a wetlands biomass burn were obtained. The measurements were made using tungsten oxide-coated diffusion denuder tubes from a helicopter during a prescribed burn on November 9, 1987, at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located at the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mean NH3 and HNO3 mixing ratios measured in the smoke plume were 19 ppbv and 14 ppbv, respectively, both significantly higher than background mixing ratios. Nitric acid correlated well with carbon dioxide produced by the combustion. The mean CO2-normalized emission ratio for HNO3 was found to be 0.00012. Ammonia, however, dit not correlate well with CO2, suggesting a more complex relationship between combustion and production/release of NH3.

THE READABILITY OF SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NEWPORT, JOHN F.

AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE OF THE READABILITY LEVELS OF NINE CONTINUOUS SERIES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS, GRADES 1-6. THE FOLLOWING SCIENCE SERIES WERE EVALUATED--ALLYN AND BACON, AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, GINN, HARPER AND ROW, HEATH, LYONS AND CARNAHAN, MACMILLAN, SINGER, AND WINSTON. THE SPACHE FORMULA (SAFIER METHOD) WAS APPLIED TO…

Readability of Igbo Language Textbook in Use in Nigerian Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eze, Nneka Justina

2015-01-01

This study assessed the readability of Igbo language textbook in use in Nigerian secondary schools. Five Igbo Language textbook were evaluated. The study employed an evaluation research design. The study was conducted in South Eastern Geopolitical zone of Nigeria which is predominantly the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. Four hundred secondary school…

Why Organizations Continue to Create Patient Information Leaflets with Readability and Usability Problems: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gal, Iddo; Prigat, Ayelet

2005-01-01

Readability and usability problems with patient information leaflets continue to be reported despite long-standing recognition of their existence and the availability of guidelines for developing health education materials. This exploratory study examined possible causes for such problems, based on interviews with professionals who developed…

Toward the Development of a Model to Estimate the Readability of Credentialing-Examination Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badgett, Barbara A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a set of procedures to establish readability, including an equation, that accommodates the multiple-choice item format and occupational-specific language related to credentialing examinations. The procedures and equation should be appropriate for learning materials, examination materials, and occupational…

Reconstructing Readability: Recent Developments and Recommendations in the Analysis of Text Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Rebekah George

2012-01-01

Largely due to technological advances, methods for analyzing readability have increased significantly in recent years. While past researchers designed hundreds of formulas to estimate the difficulty of texts for readers, controversy has surrounded their use for decades, with criticism stemming largely from their application in creating new texts…

Validation Study of Waray Text Readability Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyzon, Voltaire Q.; Corrales, Juven B.; Estardo, Wilfredo M., Jr.

2015-01-01

In 2012 the Leyte Normal University developed a computer software--modelled after the Spache Readability Formula (1953) made for English--made to help rank texts that can is used by teachers or research groups on selecting appropriate reading materials to support the DepEd's MTB-MLE program in Region VIII, in the Philippines. However,…

Are Patient-Administered Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Scales Suitable for Adults?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Edwin S.; Spalding, Steven L.; Eckard, Alexis A.; Wallace, Lorraine S.

2009-01-01

Objective: This primary purpose of this study was to examine cognitive complexity and readability of patient-administered ADHD scales. The secondary purpose was to estimate variation in readability of individual ADHD scale items. Method: Using comprehensive search strategies, we identified eight English-language ADHD scales for inclusion in our…

Research Translation Strategies to Improve the Readability of Workplace Health Promotion Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Alison; Joss, Nerida

2016-01-01

Without deliberate and resourced translation, research evidence is unlikely to inform policy and practice. This paper describes the processes and practical solutions used to translate evaluation research findings to improve the readability of print materials in a large scale worksite health programme. It is argued that a knowledge brokering and…

Readability: Theory and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Barron; Spinks, Nelda

1991-01-01

Investigates readability levels of correspondence sent out by Gulf Coast area business offices. Finds that a large majority of the correspondence sent out from the offices under study is written at too high a reading level. Finds also that the greatest problem lies in syllable intensity--the use of "big" words where everyday words would have…

Financial Statistics. Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) [machine-readable data file].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Education Statistics (ED/OERI), Washington, DC.

The Financial Statistics machine-readable data file (MRDF) is a subfile of the larger Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS). It contains basic financial statistics for over 3,000 institutions of higher education in the United States and its territories. The data are arranged sequentially by institution, with institutional…

Assessing the Readability of Geoscience Textbooks, Laboratory Manuals, and Supplemental Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hippensteel, Scott P.

2015-01-01

Reading materials used in undergraduate science classes have not received the same attention in the literature as those used in secondary schools. Additionally, reports critical of college textbooks and their prose are common. To assess both problems and determine the readability of assignments and texts used by geoscience faculty at the…

45 CFR 205.57 - Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS § 205... 45 Public Welfare 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests...

45 CFR 205.57 - Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS § 205... 45 Public Welfare 2 2013-10-01 2012-10-01 true Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests...

45 CFR 205.57 - Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS § 205... 45 Public Welfare 2 2014-10-01 2012-10-01 true Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests...

45 CFR 205.57 - Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS § 205... 45 Public Welfare 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests...

Readability and Reading Ability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Benjamin D.; Stenner, A. Jackson

This document discusses the measurement of reading ability and the readability of books by application of the Lexile framework. It begins by stating the importance of uniform measures. It then discusses the history of reading ability testing, based on the assumption that no researcher has been able to measure more than one kind of reading ability.…

Spanish Readability Formulas for Elementary-Level Texts: A Validation Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Richard I.; Hasbrouck, Jan E.; Weaver, Laurie

2001-01-01

Uses two formulas developed for Spanish language text to analyze 9 stories that were read by 36 Spanish-speaking second graders with limited English proficiency. Finds that the Spanish readability formulas only weakly predicted student performance, indicating the need to pursue broader, qualitative indices of difficulty for Spanish text. (SG)

Predicting the Readability of FORTRAN Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domangue, J. C.; Karbowski, S. A.

This paper reports the results of two studies of the readability of FORTRAN programs, i.e., the ease with which a programmer can read and analyze programs already written, particularly in the processes of maintenance and debugging. In the first study, low-level characteristics of 202 FORTRAN programs stored on the general-use UNIX systems at Bell…

Readability Levels of Health-Based Websites: From Content to Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutten, Mary; McFarland, Allison

2009-01-01

Three of the national health education standards include decision-making, accessing information and analyzing influences. WebQuests are a popular inquiry-oriented method used by secondary teachers to help students achieve these content standards. While WebQuests support higher level thinking skills, the readability level of the information on the…

Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey, 1984 [machine-readable data file].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DBS Corp., Arlington, VA.

The "Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey" machine-readable data file (MRDF) contains data on the characteristics of student populations enrolled in public schools throughout the United States. The emphasis is on data by race/ethnicity and sex in the following areas: stereotyping in courses, special education, vocational education,…

Choosing the Future: College Students' Projections of Their Personal Life Patterns [machine-readable data file].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Joan

"Choosing the Future: College Students' Projections of Their Personal Life Patterns" is a machine-readable data file (MRDF) prepared by the principal investigator in connection with her doctoral program studies and her 1986 unpublished doctoral dissertation prepared in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. The…

A Text Readability Continuum for Postsecondary Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Gary L.

2008-01-01

Students who successfully exit high school may nevertheless be unprepared for postsecondary endeavors. Some point to a lack of basic skills attained in the public schools. However, no one has systematically compared the text demands of high school with those of the postsecondary world. If there is a gap in text readability then apparent student…

The Language of Fifty Commonly Used Forms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbass, Mazin

The study analyzes, for readability and difficulty, the language of 50 commonly used application forms. The forms were compared with respect to length, readability, t-unit density, and word-length variables. Forms were also compared against two word-frequency lists. Results show that many of the words appearing often on forms do not appear on the…

Measuring the Readability of Children's Trade Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popp, Helen M.; Porter, Douglas

In order to utilize interesting children's trade books in a systematic reading program, two readability formulas were devised based on a selection of children's trade books. Children's scores on selections from these books and judges' rankings were compared. The judges' decisions were considered to be highly credible and were used as the criterion…

COM: Decisions and Applications in a Small University Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Philip J.

Computer-output microfilm (COM) is used at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Library to generate reports from its major machine readable data bases. Conditions indicating the need to convert to COM include existence of a machine readable data base and high cost of report production. Advantages and disadvantages must also be considered before…

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Lowell Proper Motion Survey northern hemisphere, the G numbered stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

Observed positions, proper motions, estimated photographic magnitudes and colors, and references to identifications in other catalogs are included. Photoelectric data on the UBV system are included for many stars, but no attempt was made to find all existing photometry. The machine-readable catalog is described.

Reference Manual for Machine-Readable Descriptions of Research Projects and Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierickx, Harold; Hopkinson, Alan

This reference manual presents a standardized communication format for the exchange between databases or other information services of machine-readable information on research in progress. The manual is produced in loose-leaf format to facilitate updating. Its first section defines in broad outline the format and content of applicable records. A…

Quality and readability of online information resources on insomnia.

PubMed

Ma, Yan; Yang, Albert C; Duan, Ying; Dong, Ming; Yeung, Albert S

2017-09-01

The internet is a major source for health information. An increasing number of people, including patients with insomnia, search for remedies online; however, little is known about the quality of such information. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and readability of insomnia-related online information. Google was used as the search engine, and the top websites on insomnia that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated for quality and readability. The analyzed websites belonged to nonprofit, commercial, or academic organizations and institutions such as hospitals and universities. Insomnia-related websites typically included definitions (85%), causes and risk factors (100%), symptoms (95%), and treatment options (90%). Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) was the most commonly recommended approach for insomnia treatment, and sleep drugs are frequently mentioned. The overall quality of the websites on insomnia is moderate, but all the content exceeded the recommended reading ease levels. Concerns that must be addressed to increase the quality and trustworthiness of online health information include sharing metadata, such as authorship, time of creation and last update, and conflicts of interest; providing evidence for reliability; and increasing the readability for a layman audience.

Readability assessment of online urology patient education materials.

PubMed

Colaco, Marc; Svider, Peter F; Agarwal, Nitin; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Jackson, Imani M

2013-03-01

The National Institutes of Health, American Medical Association, and United States Department of Health and Human Services recommend that patient education materials be written at a fourth to sixth grade reading level to facilitate comprehension. We examined and compared the readability and difficulty of online patient education materials from the American Urological Association and academic urology departments in the Northeastern United States. We assessed the online patient education materials for difficulty level with 10 commonly used readability assessment tools, including the Flesch Reading Ease Score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook, New Dale-Chall Test, Coleman-Liau index, New Fog Count, Raygor Readability Estimate, FORCAST test and Fry score. Most patient education materials on the websites of these programs were written at or above the eleventh grade reading level. Urological online patient education materials are written above the recommended reading level. They may need to be simplified to facilitate better patient understanding of urological topics. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sense and readability: participant information sheets for research studies.

PubMed

Ennis, Liam; Wykes, Til

2016-02-01

Informed consent in research is partly achieved through the use of information sheets. There is a perception however that these information sheets are long and complex. The recommended reading level for patient information is grade 6, or 11-12 years old. To investigate whether the readability of participant information sheets has changed over time, whether particular study characteristics are related to poorer readability and whether readability and other study characteristics are related to successful study recruitment. Method: We obtained 522 information sheets from the UK National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Mental Health portfolio database and study principal investigators. Readability was assessed with the Flesch reading index and the Grade level test. Information sheets increased in length over the study period. The mean grade level across all information sheets was 9.8, or 15-16 years old. A high level of patient involvement was associated with more recruitment success and studies involving pharmaceutical or device interventions were the least successful. The complexity of information sheets had little bearing on successful recruitment. Information sheets are far more complex than the recommended reading level of grade 6 for patient information. The disparity may be exacerbated by an increasing focus on legal content. Researchers would benefit from clear guidance from ethics committees on writing succinctly and accessibly and how to balance the competing legal issues with the ability of participants to understand what a study entails. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Sense and readability: participant information sheets for research studies

PubMed Central

Ennis, Liam; Wykes, Til

2016-01-01

Background Informed consent in research is partly achieved through the use of information sheets. There is a perception however that these information sheets are long and complex. The recommended reading level for patient information is grade 6, or 11–12 years old. Aims To investigate whether the readability of participant information sheets has changed over time, whether particular study characteristics are related to poorer readability and whether readability and other study characteristics are related to successful study recruitment. Method We obtained 522 information sheets from the UK National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Mental Health portfolio database and study principal investigators. Readability was assessed with the Flesch reading index and the Grade level test. Results Information sheets increased in length over the study period. The mean grade level across all information sheets was 9.8, or 15–16 years old. A high level of patient involvement was associated with more recruitment success and studies involving pharmaceutical or device interventions were the least successful. The complexity of information sheets had little bearing on successful recruitment. Conclusions Information sheets are far more complex than the recommended reading level of grade 6 for patient information. The disparity may be exacerbated by an increasing focus on legal content. Researchers would benefit from clear guidance from ethics committees on writing succinctly and accessibly and how to balance the competing legal issues with the ability of participants to understand what a study entails. PMID:26382948

Readability of Healthcare Literature for Hepatitis B and C.

PubMed

Meillier, Andrew; Patel, Shyam; Al-Osaimi, Abdullah M S

2015-12-01

Patients increasingly use the Internet for educational material concerning health and diseases. This information can be utilized to teach the population of hepatitis B and C if properly written at the necessary grade level of the intended patient population. We explored the readability of online resources concerning hepatitis B and C. Google searches were performed for "Hepatitis B" and "Hepatitis C." The Internet resources that were intended for patient education were used with specific exclusions. Articles were taken from 19 and 23 different websites focusing on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis B and C, respectively. The articles were analyzed using Readability Studio Professional Edition (Oleander Solutions, Vandalia, OH) using 10 different readability scales. The results were compared and averaged to identify the anticipated academic grade level required to understand the information. The average readability scores of the 10 scales had ranges of 9.7-16.4 for hepatitis B and 9.2-16.4 for hepatitis C. The average academic reading grade level for hepatitis B was 12.6 ± 2.1 and for hepatitis C was 12.7 ± 2.1. There was no significant discrepancy between the hepatitis B and C Internet resource averaged grade levels. The resources accessed by patients are higher than the previously determined necessary grade level for patients to properly understand the intended information. The American Medical Association recommends material should be simplified to grade levels below the sixth grade level to benefit the ideal proportion of the patient population.

Are we failing to communicate? Internet-based patient education materials and radiation safety.

PubMed

Hansberry, David R; Ramchand, Tekchand; Patel, Shyam; Kraus, Carl; Jung, Jin; Agarwal, Nitin; Gonzales, Sharon F; Baker, Stephen R

2014-09-01

Patients frequently turn to the Internet when seeking answers to healthcare related inquiries including questions about the effects of radiation when undergoing radiologic studies. We investigate the readability of online patient education materials concerning radiation safety from multiple Internet resources. Patient education material regarding radiation safety was downloaded from 8 different websites encompassing: (1) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2) the Environmental Protection Agency, (3) the European Society of Radiology, (4) the Food and Drug Administration, (5) the Mayo Clinic, (6) MedlinePlus, (7) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and (8) the Society of Pediatric Radiology. From these 8 resources, a total of 45 articles were analyzed for their level of readability using 10 different readability scales. The 45 articles had a level of readability ranging from 9.4 to the 17.2 grade level. Only 3/45 (6.7%) were written below the 10th grade level. No statistical difference was seen between the readability level of the 8 different websites. All 45 articles from all 8 websites failed to meet the recommendations set forth by the National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association that patient education resources be written between the 3rd and 7th grade level. Rewriting the patient education resources on radiation safety from each of these 8 websites would help many consumers of healthcare information adequately comprehend such material. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Prostate Cancer Information Available in Health-Care Provider Offices: An Analysis of Content, Readability, and Cultural Sensitivity.

PubMed

Choi, Seul Ki; Seel, Jessica S; Yelton, Brooks; Steck, Susan E; McCormick, Douglas P; Payne, Johnny; Minter, Anthony; Deutchki, Elizabeth K; Hébert, James R; Friedman, Daniela B

2018-07-01

Prostate cancer (PrCA) is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States, and African American men have the highest incidence among men in the United States. Little is known about the PrCA-related educational materials being provided to patients in health-care settings. Content, readability, and cultural sensitivity of materials available in providers' practices in South Carolina were examined. A total of 44 educational materials about PrCA and associated sexual dysfunction was collected from 16 general and specialty practices. The content of the materials was coded, and cultural sensitivity was assessed using the Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool. Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook were used to assess readability. Communication with health-care providers (52.3%), side effects of PrCA treatment (40.9%), sexual dysfunction and its treatment (38.6%), and treatment options (34.1%) were frequently presented. All materials had acceptable cultural sensitivity scores; however, 2.3% and 15.9% of materials demonstrated unacceptable cultural sensitivity regarding format and visual messages, respectively. Readability of the materials varied. More than half of the materials were written above a high-school reading level. PrCA-related materials available in health-care practices may not meet patients' needs regarding content, cultural sensitivity, and readability. A wide range of educational materials that address various aspects of PrCA, including treatment options and side effects, should be presented in plain language and be culturally sensitive.

Relationships between abstract features and methodological quality explained variations of social media activity derived from systematic reviews about psoriasis interventions.

PubMed

Ruano, J; Aguilar-Luque, M; Isla-Tejera, B; Alcalde-Mellado, P; Gay-Mimbrera, J; Hernandez-Romero, José Luis; Sanz-Cabanillas, J L; Maestre-López, B; González-Padilla, M; Carmona-Fernández, P J; Gómez-García, F; García-Nieto, A Vélez

2018-05-24

The aim of this study was to describe the relationship among abstract structure, readability, and completeness, and how these features may influence social media activity and bibliometric results, considering systematic reviews (SRs) about interventions in psoriasis classified by methodological quality. Systematic literature searches about psoriasis interventions were undertaken on relevant databases. For each review, methodological quality was evaluated using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. Abstract extension, structure, readability, and quality and completeness of reporting were analyzed. Social media activity, which consider Twitter and Facebook mention counts, as well as Mendeley readers and Google scholar citations were obtained for each article. Analyses were conducted to describe any potential influence of abstract characteristics on review's social media diffusion. We classified 139 intervention SRs as displaying high/moderate/low methodological quality. We observed that abstract readability of SRs has been maintained high for last 20 years, although there are some differences based on their methodological quality. Free-format abstracts were most sensitive to the increase of text readability as compared with more structured abstracts (IMRAD or 8-headings), yielding opposite effects on their quality and completeness depending on the methodological quality: a worsening in low quality reviews and an improvement in those of high-quality. Both readability indices and PRISMA for Abstract total scores showed an inverse relationship with social media activity and bibliometric results in high methodological quality reviews but not in those of lower quality. Our results suggest that increasing abstract readability must be specially considered when writing free-format summaries of high-quality reviews, because this fact correlates with an improvement of their completeness and quality, and this may help to achieve broader social media visibility and article usage. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Otoplasty Online Information: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Websites and Videos that Patients View Regarding Cosmetic Ear Surgery.

PubMed

Nissan, Michael E; Gupta, Amar; Rayess, Hani; Black, Kevin Z; Carron, Michael

2018-02-01

Physicians should be aware of both websites and videos available online regarding the otoplasty procedure to provide quality care. This study systematically analyzes the authorships, reliability, quality, and readability of the websites, as well as the authorships and primary objectives of the videos regarding otoplasty. Validated instruments were used to analyze the reliability, quality, and readability of websites, and videos were systematically categorized and analyzed. A Google search was conducted, and the first five pages of results were included in this study. After excluding unrelated websites, the remaining 44 websites were categorized by authorship (physician, patient, academic, or unaffiliated) and were analyzed using the validated DISCERN instrument for reliability and quality, as well as various other validated instruments to measure readability. A YouTube search was also conducted, and the first 50 relevant videos were included in the study. These videos were categorized by authorship and their primary objective. Website authorships were physician-dominated. Reliability, quality, and overall DISCERN score differ between the four authorship groups by a statistically significant margin (Kruskall-Wallis test, p  < 0.05). Unaffiliated websites were the most reliable, and physician websites were the least reliable. Academic websites were of the highest quality, and patient websites were of the lowest quality. Readability did not differ significantly between the groups, though the readability measurements made showed a general lack of material easily readable by the general public. YouTube was likewise dominated by physician-authored videos. While the physician-authored videos sought mainly to inform and to advertise, patient-authored videos sought mainly to provide the patient's perspective. Academic organizations showed very little representation on YouTube, and the YouTube views on otoplasty videos were dominated by the top 20 videos, which represented over 93% of the total views of videos included in this study. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Third Molars on the Internet: A Guide for Assessing Information Quality and Readability

PubMed Central

Brennan, David; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason

2015-01-01

Background Directing patients suffering from third molars (TMs) problems to high-quality online information is not only medically important, but also could enable better engagement in shared decision making. Objectives This study aimed to develop a scale that measures the scientific information quality (SIQ) for online information concerning wisdom tooth problems and to conduct a quality evaluation for online TMs resources. In addition, the study evaluated whether a specific piece of readability software (Readability Studio Professional 2012) might be reliable in measuring information comprehension, and explored predictors for the SIQ Scale. Methods A cross-sectional sample of websites was retrieved using certain keywords and phrases such as “impacted wisdom tooth problems” using 3 popular search engines. The retrieved websites (n=150) were filtered. The retained 50 websites were evaluated to assess their characteristics, usability, accessibility, trust, readability, SIQ, and their credibility using DISCERN and Health on the Net Code (HoNCode). Results Websites’ mean scale scores varied significantly across website affiliation groups such as governmental, commercial, and treatment provider bodies. The SIQ Scale had a good internal consistency (alpha=.85) and was significantly correlated with DISCERN (r=.82, P<.01) and HoNCode (r=.38, P<.01). Less than 25% of websites had SIQ scores above 75%. The mean readability grade (10.3, SD 1.9) was above the recommended level, and was significantly correlated with the Scientific Information Comprehension Scale (r=.45. P<.01), which provides evidence for convergent validity. Website affiliation and DISCERN were significantly associated with SIQ (P<.01) and explained 76% of the SIQ variance. Conclusion The developed SIQ Scale was found to demonstrate reliability and initial validity. Website affiliation, DISCERN, and HoNCode were significant predictors for the quality of scientific information. The Readability Studio software estimates were associated with scientific information comprehensiveness measures. PMID:26443470

Assessment of readability, quality and popularity of online information on ureteral stents.

PubMed

Mozafarpour, Sarah; Norris, Briony; Borin, James; Eisner, Brian H

2018-02-12

To evaluate the quality and readability of online information on ureteral stents. Google.com was queried using the search terms "ureteric stent", "ureteral stent", "double J stent" and, "Kidney stent" derived from Google AdWords. Website popularity was determined using Google Rank and the Alexa tool. Website quality assessment was performed using the following criteria: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, Health on the Net (HON) criteria, and a customized DISCERN questionnaire. The customized DISCERN questionnaire was developed by combining the short validated DISCERN questionnaire with additional stent-specific items including definition, placement, complications, limitations, removal and "when to seek help". Scores related to stent items were considered as the "stent score" (SS). Readability was evaluated using five readability tests. Thirty-two websites were included. The mean customized DISCERN score and "stent score" were 27.1 ± 7.1 (maximum possible score = 59) and 14.6 ± 3.8 (maximum possible score = 24), respectively. A minority of websites adequately addressed "stent removal" and "when to seek medical attention". Only two websites (6.3%) had HON certification (drugs.com, radiologyinfo.org) and only one website (3.3%) met all JAMA criteria (bradyurology.blogspot.com). Readability level was higher than the American Medical Association recommendation of sixth-grade level for more than 75% of the websites. There was no correlation between Google rank, Alexa rank, and the quality scores (P > 0.05). Among the 32 most popular websites on the topic of ureteral stents, online information was highly variable. The readability of many of the websites was far higher than standard recommendations and the online information was questionable in many cases. These findings suggest a need for improved online resources in order to better educate patients about ureteral stents and also should inform physicians that popular websites may have incomplete information.

Readability of arthroscopy-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Arthroscopy Association of North America Web sites.

PubMed

Yi, Paul H; Ganta, Abhishek; Hussein, Khalil I; Frank, Rachel M; Jawa, Andrew

2013-06-01

We sought to assess the readability levels of arthroscopy-related patient education materials available on the Web sites of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). We identified all articles related to arthroscopy available in 2012 from the online patient education libraries of AAOS and AANA. After performing follow-up editing, we assessed each article with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of the articles from the AAOS Web site and the AANA Web site were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the eighth-grade level (the average reading ability of the US adult population) and sixth-grade level (the widely recommended level for patient education materials). Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability of FK grade assessment were evaluated. A total of 62 articles were reviewed (43 from AAOS and 19 from AANA). The mean overall FK grade level was 10.2 (range, 5.2 to 12). The AAOS articles had a mean FK grade level of 9.6 (range, 5.2 to 12), whereas the AANA articles had a mean FK grade level of 11.4 (range, 8.7 to 12); the difference was significant (P < .0001). Only 3 articles had a readability level at or below the eighth-grade level and only 1 was at or below the sixth-grade level; all were from AAOS. Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 1 for both). Online patient education materials related to arthroscopy from AAOS and AANA may be written at a level too difficult for a large portion of the patient population to comprehend. Copyright © 2013 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maintaining patients' social contacts through displaying nonverbal awareness information on mobile devices.

PubMed

Ruschin, Detlef

2015-01-01

Awareness systems had been invented for supporting groups collaborating simultaneously over a network. They provide each group member with real-time information about the state of affairs on the remote locations of the other members. Awareness systems have also been observed to help remote collaborators develop the same shared sense of community that often emerges within co-located work groups, and this effect of creating or maintaining group cohesion is an important goal in itself. Purely social awareness systems can be employed by any kind of group, e.g. families, without shared work tasks. As a means of preventing loneliness they can be regarded as examples of biomedical technology. In this paper a demonstrator of an awareness-enhanced instant messaging system for elderly living alone is described along with assumptions about group processes that led to its specification.

FOREST unbiased Galactic plane imaging survey with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope (FUGIN). I. Project overview and initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umemoto, Tomofumi; Minamidani, Tetsuhiro; Kuno, Nario; Fujita, Shinji; Matsuo, Mitsuhiro; Nishimura, Atsushi; Torii, Kazufumi; Tosaki, Tomoka; Kohno, Mikito; Kuriki, Mika; Tsuda, Yuya; Hirota, Akihiko; Ohashi, Satoshi; Yamagishi, Mitsuyoshi; Handa, Toshihiro; Nakanishi, Hiroyuki; Omodaka, Toshihiro; Koide, Nagito; Matsumoto, Naoko; Onishi, Toshikazu; Tokuda, Kazuki; Seta, Masumichi; Kobayashi, Yukinori; Tachihara, Kengo; Sano, Hidetoshi; Hattori, Yusuke; Onodera, Sachiko; Oasa, Yumiko; Kamegai, Kazuhisa; Tsuboi, Masato; Sofue, Yoshiaki; Higuchi, Aya E.; Chibueze, James O.; Mizuno, Norikazu; Honma, Mareki; Muller, Erik; Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Morokuma-Matsui, Kana; Shinnaga, Hiroko; Ozawa, Takeaki; Takahashi, Ryo; Yoshiike, Satoshi; Costes, Jean; Kuwahara, Sho

2017-10-01

The FUGIN project is one of legacy projects using a new multi-beam FOREST (four-beam receiver system on the 45 m telescope). This project aims to simultaneously investigate the distribution, kinematics, and physical properties of both diffuse and dense molecular gases in the Galaxy by observing 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 1-0 lines simultaneously. Mapping regions are parts of the first quadrant (10° ≤ l ≤ 50°, |b| ≤ 1°) and the third quadrant (198° ≤ l ≤ 236°, |b| ≤ 1°) of the Galaxy, where spiral arms, bar structure, and the molecular gas ring are included. This survey achieves the highest angular resolution to date (˜20″) for the Galactic plane survey in the CO J = 1-0 lines, which makes it possible to find dense clumps located farther away than the previous surveys. FUGIN will provide us an invaluable dataset for investigating the physics of the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM), particularly the evolution of interstellar gas covering galactic-scale structures to the internal structures of giant molecular clouds, such as small filaments/clumps/cores. We present an overview of the FUGIN project, the observation plan and initial results. These results reveal wide-field and detailed structures of molecular clouds, such as entangled filaments that have not been obvious in previous surveys, and large-scale kinematics of molecular gas, such as spiral arms.

The Effect of Co-Administration of Death Camas (Zigadenus spp.) and Low Larkspur (Delphinium spp.) in Cattle.

PubMed

Welch, Kevin D; Green, Benedict T; Gardner, Dale R; Stonecipher, Clinton A; Pfister, James A; Cook, Daniel

2016-01-12

In many rangeland settings, there is more than one potential poisonous plant. Two poisonous plants that are often found growing simultaneously in the same location in North American rangelands are death camas (Zigadenus spp.) and low larkspur (Delphinium spp.). The objective of this study was to determine if co-administration of death camas would exacerbate the toxicity of low larkspur in cattle. Cattle dosed with 2.0 g of death camas/kg BW showed slight frothing and lethargy, whereas cattle dosed with both death camas and low larkspur showed increased clinical signs of poisoning. Although qualitative differences in clinical signs of intoxication in cattle co-treated with death camas and low larkspur were observed, there were not any significant quantitative differences in heart rate or exercise-induced muscle fatigue. Co-treatment with death camas and low larkspur did not affect the serum zygacine kinetics, however, there was a difference in the larkspur alkaloid kinetics in the co-exposure group. Overall, the results from this study suggest that co-exposure to death camas and low larkspur is not significantly more toxic to cattle than exposure to the plants individually. The results from this study increase our knowledge and understanding regarding the acute toxicity of death camas and low larkspur in cattle.

Home Pregnancy Test Kits: How Readable Are the Instructions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holcomb, Carol Ann

At the conclusion of their study on home pregnancy test kits, Valinas and Perlman (1982) suggested that the instructions accompanying the kits be revised to make them easier to read. A study was undertaken to determine the readability of the printed instructions accompanying five home pregnancy test kits (Daisy II, Answer, Acu-Test, Predictor, and…

Assessing the readability of thirty-nine behavior-modification training manuals and primers

PubMed Central

Andrasik, Frank; Murphy, William D.

1977-01-01

Thirty-nine behavior-modification training manuals and primers, sampling various topical areas, were subjected to a readability analysis. Reading-ease scores were computed by the formula developed by Flesch. The texts sampled ranged from very difficult (appropriate for college graduates) to fairly easy (appropriate for readers at the seventh-grade level). PMID:16795559

Improving Readability of an Evaluation Tool for Low-Income Clients Using Visual Information Processing Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Marilyn S.; Sylva, Kathryn; Martin, Anna; Metz, Diane; Wooten-Swanson, Patti

2008-01-01

Literacy is an issue for many low-income audiences. Using visual information processing theories, the goal was improving readability of a food behavior checklist and ultimately improving its ability to accurately capture existing changes in dietary behaviors. Using group interviews, low-income clients (n = 18) evaluated 4 visual styles. The text…

The Impact of Web Page Text-Background Colour Combinations on Readability, Retention, Aesthetics and Behavioural Intention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Richard H.; Hanna, Patrick

2004-01-01

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of web page text/background colour combination on readability, retention, aesthetics, and behavioural intention. One hundred and thirty-six participants studied two Web pages, one with educational content and one with commercial content, in one of four colour-combination conditions. Major…

Assessing Text Readability Using Cognitively Based Indices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossley, Scott A.; Greenfield, Jerry; McNamara, Danielle S.

2008-01-01

Many programs designed to compute the readability of texts are narrowly based on surface-level linguistic features and take too little account of the processes which a reader brings to the text. This study is an exploratory examination of the use of Coh-Metrix, a computational tool that measures cohesion and text difficulty at various levels of…

The Readability and Complexity of District-Provided School-Choice Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Marc L.; Nagro, Sarah

2015-01-01

Public school choice has become a common feature in American school districts. Any potential benefits that could be derived from these policies depend heavily on the ability of parents and students to make informed and educated decisions about their school options. We examined the readability and complexity of school-choice guides across a sample…

Reading and Readability Affect on E-Learning Success in a Fortune 100 Company: A Correlational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnegan, Denis Michael Thomas

2010-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between employees' reading skills, E-learning readability, student learning, and student satisfaction. The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) form 10 Level A instrument evaluated student-reading skills. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index course assessed…

Readability Revisited? The Implications of Text Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray, David; Janan, Dahlia

2013-01-01

The concept of readability has had a variable history, moving from a position where it was considered as a very important topic for those responsible for producing texts and matching those texts to the abilities and needs of learners, to its current declining visibility in the education literature. Some important work has been coming from the USA…

Readability of Magazines of Interest to Reading-Deficit Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Maurice; And Others

The reading abilities of low achieving high school students at two schools were compared to the readability levels of the magazines in which they showed interest. The median tested reading ability of these students was reported as third/fourth grade by their reading teachers. The reading specialist at one high school reported that boys had an…

Student Achievement Study, 1970-1974. The IEA Six-Subject Data Bank [machine-readable data file].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, Stockholm (Sweden).

The "Student Achievement Study" machine-readable data files (MRDF) (also referred to as the "IEA Six-Subject Survey") are the result of an international data collection effort during 1970-1974 by 21 designated National Centers, which had agreed to cooperate. The countries involved were: Australia, Belgium, Chile, England-Wales,…

Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) [machine-readable data file].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock. General Education Div.

The Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) machine-readable data file (MRDF) is a collection of education and health data on more than 750,000 migrant children in grades K-12 in the United States (except Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and the outlying territories of Puerto Rico and the Mariana and Marshall Islands. The active file…

Textbook Readability and Student Performance in Online Introductory Corporate Finance Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peng, Chien-Chih

2015-01-01

This paper examines whether the choice of a more readable textbook can improve student performance in online introductory corporate finance classes. The ordinary least squares regression model is employed to analyze a sample of 206 students during the period from 2008 to 2012. The results of this study show that the student's age, student's major,…

Assessing the Readability of College Textbooks in Public Speaking: Attending to Entry Level Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, David E.

2011-01-01

More research is needed that examines textbooks intended for the entry level college classroom. This study offers valuable information to academics that adopt a public speaking textbook for instruction as well as objective feedback to the collective authors. Readability levels of 22 nationally published textbooks, based on McGlaughlin's (1969)…

Machine-Readable Data Files in the Social Sciences: An Anthropologist and a Librarian Look at the Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernard, H. Russell; Jones, Ray

1984-01-01

Focuses on problems in making machine-readable data files (MRDFs) accessible and in using them: quality of data in MRDFs themselves (social scientists' concern) and accessibility--availability of bibliographic control, quality of documentation, level of user skills (librarians' concern). Skills needed by social scientists and librarians are…

49 CFR 573.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... than a tire) that was installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to the first purchaser if the item of equipment was installed on or in the motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to a... readable by machine. If readable by machine, the submitting party must obtain written confirmation from the...

49 CFR 573.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... than a tire) that was installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to the first purchaser if the item of equipment was installed on or in the motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to a... readable by machine. If readable by machine, the submitting party must obtain written confirmation from the...

49 CFR 573.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... than a tire) that was installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to the first purchaser if the item of equipment was installed on or in the motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to a... readable by machine. If readable by machine, the submitting party must obtain written confirmation from the...

Aligning Theme and Information Structure to Improve the Readability of Technical Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, N. A. J.

2006-01-01

The readability of technical writing, and technical manuals in particular, especially for second language readers, can be noticeably improved by pairing Theme with Given and Rheme with New. This allows for faster processing of text and easier access to the "method of development" of the text. Typical Theme-Rheme patterns are described, and the…

Readability Statistics of Patient Information Leaflets in a Speech and Language Therapy Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pothier, Louise; Day, Rachael; Harris, Catherine; Pothier, David D.

2008-01-01

Background: Information leaflets are commonly used in Speech and Language Therapy Departments. Despite widespread use, they can be of variable quality. Aims: To revise current departmental leaflets using the National Health Service (NHS) Toolkit for Producing Patient Information and to test the effect that this has on the readability scores of the…

The Reading Level of Government and Voluntary Health Organization Smoking Cessation Websites: A Descriptive Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seitz, Christopher M.; Shiplo, Samantha; Filippini, Taylor; Kabir, Zubair; Lennon, Jeffrey L.; Fowler, Donald

2017-01-01

Background: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that health material be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level to ensure readability. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the readability of online smoking cessation materials from several government and voluntary health organizations.…

Creating Readable Handouts, Worksheets, Overheads, Tests, Review Materials, Study Guides, and Homework Assignments through Effective Typographic Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoener, Arthur; And Others

1997-01-01

This article presents guidelines for using the principles of typography to enhance the readability and legibility of classroom print materials for students with mild disabilities. Different elements of type, line length, page margins, and spacing are addressed. Recommendations for preparing materials that promote student performance are provided.…

Development of a Frequency-based Measure of Syntactic Difficulty for Estimating Readability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selden, Ramsay

Readability estimates are usually based on measures of word difficulty and measures of sentence difficulty. Word difficulty is measured in two ways: by the structural size and complexity of words or by reference to phonomena of language use, such as word-list frequency or the regularity of spelling patterns. Sentence difficulty is measured only in…

Documentation for the machine-readable version of The Revised AFGL Infrared Sky Survey Catalog (Price and Murdock 1983)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

A detailed description of the machine-readable catalog as it is currently being distributed from the Astronomical Data Center is given. The catalog contains a main data file of 2970 sources and a supplemental file of 3176 sources measured at wavelengths of 4.2, 11, 20 and 27 microns.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the third Santiago-Pulkovo Fundamental Stars Catalogue (SPF-3)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

The machine-readable version of a catalog of right ascensions of 671 bright stars is described. The observations were made in a series consisting of 70 stars observed along the meridian from +42 deg to the pole in upper culmination and from the pole to -70 deg in lower culmination.

A catalog of stellar spectrophotometry (Adelman, et al. 1989): Documentation for the machine-readable version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Wayne H., Jr.; Adelman, Saul J.

1990-01-01

The machine-readable version of the catalog, as it is currently being distributed from the astronomical data centers, is described. The catalog is a collection of spectrophotometric observations made using rotating grating scanners and calibrated with the fluxes of Vega. The observations cover various wavelength regions between about 330 and 1080 nm.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of a table of Redshifts for Abell clusters (Sarazin, Rood and Struble 1982)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1983-01-01

The machine readable catalog is described. The machine version contains the same data as the published table, which includes a second file with the notes. The computerized data files are prepared at the Astronomical Data Center. Detected discrepancies and cluster identifications based on photometric estimators are included.

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the revised new general catalogue of nonstellar astronomical objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, W. H., Jr.

1982-01-01

The contents and format of the machine-readable version of the cataloque distributed by the Astronomical Data Center are described. Coding for the various scales and abbreviations used in the catalogue are tabulated and certain revisions to the machine version made to improve storage efficiency and notation are discussed.

Further Issues in Determining the Readability of Self-Report Items: Comment on McHugh and Behar (2009)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schinka, John A.

2012-01-01

Objective: Issues regarding the readability of self-report assessment instruments, methods for establishing the reading ability level of respondents, and guidelines for development of scales designed for marginal readers have been inconsistently addressed in the literature. A recent study by McHugh and Behar (2009) provided new findings relevant…

Results from twelve years of continuous monitoring of the soil CO2 flux at the Ketzin CO2 storage pilot site, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szizybalski, Alexandra; Zimmer, Martin; Pilz, Peter; Liebscher, Axel

2017-04-01

Under the coordination of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences the complete life-cycle of a geological storage site for CO2 has been investigated and studied in detail over the past 12 years at Ketzin near Berlin, Germany. The test site is located at the southern flank of an anticlinal structure. Beginning with an exploration phase in 2004, drilling of the first three wells took place in 2007. From June 2008 to August 2013 about 67 kt of CO2 were injected into Upper Triassic sandstones at a depth of 630 to 650 m overlain by more than 165 m of shaley cap rocks. A comprehensive operational and scientific monitoring program forms the central part of the Ketzin project targeting at the reservoir itself, its overburden or above-zone and the surface. The surface monitoring is done by continuous soil CO2 flux measurements. These already started in 2005, more than three years prior to the injection phase using a survey chamber from LI-COR Inc. Twenty sampling locations were selected in the area of the anticline covering about 3 x 3 km. In order to obtain information on seasonal trends, measurements are performed at least once a month. The data set obtained prior to the injection serves as a basis for comparison with all further measurements during the injection and storage operations [Zimmer et al., 2010]. To refine the monitoring network, eight automatic, permanent soil CO2 flux stations were additionally installed in 2011 in the direct vicinity of the boreholes. Using this system, the CO2 soil flux is measured on an hourly basis. Over the whole monitoring time, soil temperature and moisture are recorded simultaneously and soil samples down to 70 cm depth were studied for their structure, carbon and nitrogen content. ver the whole monitoring time. Both, diurnal and seasonal flux variations can be detected and hence, provide a basis for interpretation of the measured data. Detailed analysis of the long-term monitoring at each station clearly reveals the influence of the soil composition. As most of the sampling positions are located next to agricultural roads and fields, the use of chemicals and harvesting may have an influence on the soil structure and the biology. Soil temperature, rain events and dry periods additionally affect the CO2 flux. Moreover, the microbial controlled increased CO2 production in early fall is also observed to depend on the actual location. Annual mean values of CO2 fluxes range from 10 to 82 t ha-1 a-1. As the CO2 flux measurements significantly reflect the specific site conditions, which can vary locally and over time, long-term trends must be carefully interpreted. Hence, complementary measurements of the soil gas composition were performed at selected locations. Zimmer, M., Pilz, P., Erzinger, J. (2011): Long-term surface carbon dioxide flux monitoring at the Ketzin carbon dioxide storage test site. Environmental Geosciences, 18, 119-130, doi:10.1306/eg.11181010017.

Co-located ionospheric and geomagnetic disturbances caused by great earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Yongqiang; Zhang, Donghe; Xiao, Zuo

2016-07-01

Despite primary energy disturbances from the Sun, oscillations of the Earth surface due to a large earthquake will couple with the atmosphere and therefore the ionosphere, to generate so-called coseismic ionospheric disturbances (CIDs). In the cases of 2008 Wenchuan and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes, infrasonic waves accompanying the propagation of seismic Rayleigh waves were observed in the ionosphere by a combination of techniques, total electron content, HF Doppler, and ground magnetometer. This is the very first report to present CIDs recorded by different techniques at co-located sites and profiled with regard to changes of both ionospheric plasma and current (geomagnetic field) simultaneously. Comparison between the oceanic (2011 Tohoku) and inland (2008 Wenchuan) earthquakes revealed that the main directional lobe of latter case is more distinct which is perpendicular to the direction of the fault rupture. We argue that the different fault slip (inland or submarine) may affect the way of couplings of lithosphere with atmosphere. Zhao, B., and Y. Hao (2015), Ionospheric and geomagnetic disturbances caused by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake: A revisit, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1002/2015JA021035. Hao, Y. Q., et al. (2013), Teleseismic magnetic effects (TMDs) of 2011 Tohoku earthquake, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1002/jgra.50326. Hao, Y. Q., et al. (2012), Multi-instrument observation on co-seismic ionospheric effects after great Tohoku earthquake, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JA017036.

Towards understanding the variability in biospheric CO2 fluxes: using FTIR spectrometry and a chemical transport model to investigate the sources and sinks of carbonyl sulfide and its link to CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Deutscher, N. M.; Palm, M.; Warneke, T.; Notholt, J.; Baker, I.; Berry, J.; Suntharalingam, P.; Jones, N.; Mahieu, E.; Lejeune, B.; Campbell, J. E.; Wolf, A.; Kremser, S.

2015-09-01

Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) biospheric processes is of great importance because the terrestrial exchange drives the seasonal and inter-annual variability of CO2 in the atmosphere. Atmospheric inversions based on CO2 concentration measurements alone can only determine net biosphere fluxes, but not differentiate between photosynthesis (uptake) and respiration (production). Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) could provide an important additional constraint: it is also taken up by plants during photosynthesis but not emitted during respiration, and therefore is a potential mean to differentiate between these processes. Solar absorption Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry allows for the retrievals of the atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and OCS from measured solar absorption spectra. Here, we investigate co-located and quasi-simultaneous FTIR measurements of OCS and CO2 performed at three selected sites located in the Northern Hemisphere. These measurements are compared to simulations of OCS and CO2 using a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). The OCS simulations are driven by different land biospheric fluxes to reproduce the seasonality of the measurements. Increasing the plant uptake of Kettle et al. (2002a) by a factor of three resulted in the best comparison with FTIR measurements. However, there are still discrepancies in the latitudinal distribution when comparing with HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations) data spanning both hemispheres. The coupled biospheric fluxes of OCS and CO2 from the simple biosphere model (SiB) are used in the study and compared to measurements. The CO2 simulation with SiB fluxes agrees with the measurements well, while the OCS simulation reproduced a weaker drawdown than FTIR measurements at selected sites, and a smaller latitudinal gradient in the Northern Hemisphere during growing season. An offset in the timing of the seasonal cycle minimum between SiB simulation and measurements is also seen. Using OCS as a photosynthesis proxy can help to understand how the biospheric processes are reproduced in models and to further understand the carbon cycle in the real world.

The influence of spatial congruency and movement preparation time on saccade curvature in simultaneous and sequential dual-tasks.

PubMed

Moehler, Tobias; Fiehler, Katja

2015-11-01

Saccade curvature represents a sensitive measure of oculomotor inhibition with saccades curving away from covertly attended locations. Here we investigated whether and how saccade curvature depends on movement preparation time when a perceptual task is performed during or before saccade preparation. Participants performed a dual-task including a visual discrimination task at a cued location and a saccade task to the same location (congruent) or to a different location (incongruent). Additionally, we varied saccade preparation time (time between saccade cue and Go-signal) and the occurrence of the discrimination task (during saccade preparation=simultaneous vs. before saccade preparation=sequential). We found deteriorated perceptual performance in incongruent trials during simultaneous task performance while perceptual performance was unaffected during sequential task performance. Saccade accuracy and precision were deteriorated in incongruent trials during simultaneous and, to a lesser extent, also during sequential task performance. Saccades consistently curved away from covertly attended non-saccade locations. Saccade curvature was unaffected by movement preparation time during simultaneous task performance but decreased and finally vanished with increasing movement preparation time during sequential task performance. Our results indicate that the competing saccade plan to the covertly attended non-saccade location is maintained during simultaneous task performance until the perceptual task is solved while in the sequential condition, in which the discrimination task is solved prior to the saccade task, oculomotor inhibition decays gradually with movement preparation time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Readability of New Aviation Chart Symbology in Day and NVG Reading Conditions.

PubMed

Wagstaff, Anthony S; Larsen, Terje

2017-11-01

The Swedish Air Force (SwAF) conducted a study in 2010 to harmonize portrayal of aeronautical info (AI) on SwAF charts with NATO standards. A mismatch was found concerning vertical obstructions (VO). Norway regarded Sweden's existing symbology as a way to solve the problem of overcrowded air charts and the two countries started to cooperate. The result of this development was a new set of symbology for obstacles. The aim of this study was to test the readability of the new obstacle and power line symbols compared to the old symbols. We also wished to assess the readability in NVG illumination conditions, particularly regarding the new symbols compared to the old. In a randomized controlled study design, 21 volunteer military pilots from the Norwegian and Swedish Air Force were asked to perform tracking and chart-reading tests. The chart-reading test scored both errors and readability using a predefined score index. Subjective scoring was also done at the end of the test day. Overall response time improved by approximately 20% using the new symbology and error rate decreased by approximately 30-90% where statistically significant differences were found. The tracking test turned out to be too difficult due to several factors in the experimental design. Even though some caution should be shown in drawing conclusions from this study, the general trends seem well supported with the number of aircrew subjects we were able to recruit.Wagstaff AS, Larsen T. Readability of new aviation chart symbology in day and NVG reading conditions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):978-984.

Assessing Readability and Reliability of Online Patient Information Regarding Vestibular Schwannoma.

PubMed

Spiers, Harry; Amin, Nikul; Lakhani, Raj; Martin, Andrew J; Patel, Parag M

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to objectively assess the quality and readability of websites related to vestibular schwannomas. Patients are increasingly seeking information on confirmed or suspected diagnoses through the Internet. Clinicians are often concerned regarding the accuracy, quality, and readability of web-based sites. Online information relating to vestibular schwannoma was searched using the three most popular search engines. The terms "acoustic neuroma" and "vestibular schwannoma" were used. The top 50 results from each site were assessed for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and the Gunning-Fog Index. Quality of website information was scored using the DISCERN tool. Of 300 search results analyzed, 58 separate appropriate websites were identified. The mean readability score using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 10.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.84-10.70). The mean Flesch Reading Ease Score was 48.75 (95% CI 46.57-50.92). The Gunning-Fog Index was 13.40 (95% CI 12.92-13.89). These scores equate to someone finishing secondary school/first year university student. DISCERN scores were highly variable but consistently demonstrated great variability in quality of information. Online patient information on vestibular schwannoma is highly variable in quality. Although there are a wide range of different websites easily available to patients on their condition and its treatment options, the information is written at a difficult level which may exceed the understanding level of many patients as it is written at a higher than average level of expected reading ability.

Readability of the Patient Education Section of the AOFAS Website.

PubMed

Bluman, Eric M; Foley, Ryan P; Chiodo, Christopher P

2009-04-01

One of the goals of the AOFAS website is to provide easily understandable information about orthopaedic foot and ankle conditions to the public. However, validation of this goal has not been conducted. Evaluation of text reading level is frequently performed using the Flesch-Kincaid formula (FKF). This study evaluated whether the patient information section of the AOFAS website meets recommended readability guidelines for medical information. Seventy-nine publicly accessible entries within the patient education section of the AOFAS website were analyzed for grade level readability using the FKF. Two entries were unable to be effectively evaluated using the FKF. The average grade reading level of all patient education entries was 8.3 (95% CI 7.8 to 8.9). Only 20.8% of entries were at or below a 6th grade reading level. Almost 30% were above the 8th grade level. The average grade levels of the constituent sections were: ;;Ailments and Conditions'', 8.7; ;;Steps to Recovery'', 7.1; ;;Adult Feet'', 8.3; ;;Children's Feet'', 7.5; ;;Foot Health and Fitness'', 7.8; ;;Shoes'', 8.5; and ;;Glossary'', 10.1. The percentage of entries within these sections below a 7th grade reading level were 13%, 30%, 0%, 0%, 43%, 24% and 0%, respectively. The percentage of entries at or below the recommended 6th grade reading level on the AOFAS website compared favorably with other orthopaedic organizations' websites. However, the majority still exceeds a recommended reading level. To enhance the readability of patient education materials, we believe use of computer aided readability assessment tools should be considered in future website revisions.

National Survey of Patients’ Bill of Rights Statutes

PubMed Central

Jacob, Dan M.; Hochhauser, Mark; Parker, Ruth M.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND Despite vigorous national debate between 1999–2001 the federal patients’ bill of rights (PBOR) was not enacted. However, states have enacted legislation and the Joint Commission defined an accreditation standard to present patients with their rights. Because such initiatives can be undermined by overly complex language, we surveyed the readability of hospital PBOR documents as well as texts mandated by state law. METHODS State Web sites and codes were searched to identify PBOR statutes for general patient populations. The rights addressed were compared with the 12 themes presented in the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) PBOR text of 2002. In addition, we obtained PBOR texts from a sample of hospitals in each state. Readability was evaluated using Prose, a software program which reports an average of eight readability formulas. RESULTS Of 23 states with a PBOR statute for the general public, all establish a grievance policy, four protect a private right of action, and one stipulates fines for violations. These laws address an average of 7.4 of the 12 AHA themes. Nine states’ statutes specify PBOR text for distribution to patients. These documents have an average readability of 15th grade (range, 11.6, New York, to 17.0, Minnesota). PBOR documents from 240 US hospitals have an average readability of 14th grade (range, 8.2 to 17.0). CONCLUSIONS While the average U.S. adult reads at an 8th grade reading level, an advanced college reading level is routinely required to read PBOR documents. Patients are not likely to learn about their rights from documents they cannot read. PMID:19189192

The quality and accuracy of internet information on the subject of ear tubes.

PubMed

McKearney, Thomas C; McKearney, Richard M

2013-06-01

The World Wide Web is a commonly used source of health information for patients. The objective of this study is to assess the quality and accuracy of information on the internet regarding ear tubes and their insertion. Websites were identified from Google, Yahoo and MSN using the search terms 'myringotomy', 'tympanostomy', 'grommet' and 'ear tubes'. The first 40 consecutive websites from each search engine using each search term were potentially eligible for the study. Quality of information was assessed using the DISCERN instrument and readability using the Flesch Readability Formula and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Formula. As the DISCERN instrument is subjective, both authors rated each website. Specific facts related to ear tubes were identified from each website such as the indications for and complications of ear tubes which were evaluated for accuracy and consistency. Of the 480 potentially eligible websites, 84 were included in the study. The mean DISCERN score for all websites was 38.5 (range 18-64) and the mean readability score was 49.4 (range 5.7-71.6). The mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade level was 10.1 (range 6.6-12). Key facts quoted on websites regarding ear tube information such as indications for insertion and complications are very variable. Overall, internet information regarding ear tubes is of mixed quality and the readability is generally low. Certain topics such as the number of patients that require repeat ear tube insertion and advice on bathing and showering with ear tubes were poorly described. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The quality and readability of internet information regarding clavicle fractures.

PubMed

Zhang, Dafang; Schumacher, Charles; Harris, Mitchel Byron

2016-03-01

The internet has become a major source of health information for patients. However, there has been little scrutiny of health information available on the internet to the public. Our objectives were to evaluate the quality and readability of information available on the internet regarding clavicle fractures and whether they changed with academic affiliation of the website or with complexity of the search term. Through a prospective evaluation of 3 search engines using 3 different search terms of varying complexity ("broken collarbone," "collarbone fracture," and "clavicle fracture"), we evaluated 91 website hits for quality and readability. Websites were specifically analyzed by search term and by website type. Information quality was evaluated on a four-point scale, and information readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid score for reading grade level. The average quality score for our website hits was low, and the average reading grade level was far above the recommended level. Academic websites offered significantly higher quality information, whereas commercial websites offered significantly lower quality information. The use of more complex search terms yielded information of higher reading grade level but not higher quality. Current internet information regarding clavicle fractures is of low quality and low readability. Higher quality information utilizing more accessible language on clavicle fractures is needed on the internet. It is important to be aware of the information accessible to patients prior to their presentation to our clinics. Patients should be advised to visit websites with academic affiliations and to avoid commercial websites. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Breast reconstruction post mastectomy- Let's Google it. Accessibility, readability and quality of online information.

PubMed

Lynch, Noel P; Lang, Bronagh; Angelov, Sophia; McGarrigle, Sarah A; Boyle, Terence J; Al-Azawi, Dhafir; Connolly, Elizabeth M

2017-04-01

This study evaluated the readability, accessibility and quality of information pertaining to breast reconstruction post mastectomy on the Internet in the English language. Using the Google © search engine the keywords "Breast reconstruction post mastectomy" were searched for. We analyzed the top 75 sites. The Flesch Reading Ease Score and Gunning Fog Index were calculated to assess readability. Web site quality was assessed objectively using the University of Michigan Consumer Health Web site Evaluation Checklist. Accessibility was determined using an automated accessibility tool. In addition, the country of origin, type of organisation producing the site and presence of Health on the Net (HoN) Certification status was recorded. The Web sites were difficult to read and comprehend. The mean Flesch Reading Ease scores were 55.5. The mean Gunning Fog Index scores was 8.6. The mean Michigan score was 34.8 indicating weak quality of websites. Websites with HoN certification ranked higher in the search results (p = 0.007). Website quality was influenced by organisation type (p < 0.0001) with academic/healthcare, not for profit and government sites having higher Michigan scores. 20% of sites met the minimum accessibility criteria. Internet information on breast reconstruction post mastectomy and procedures is poorly written and we suggest that Webpages providing information must be made more readable and accessible. We suggest that health professionals should recommend Web sites that are easy to read and contain high-quality surgical information. Medical information on the Internet should be readable, accessible, reliable and of a consistent quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The quality and readability of colorectal cancer information on the internet.

PubMed

Grewal, P; Alagaratnam, S

2013-01-01

Patients can rapidly access the internet and more young people are using their mobile to access health-related information. The aim of this study is to assess the readability and quality of colorectal disease websites for colorectal cancer. We searched the Google, Yahoo and Bing for colorectal cancer. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade (FKG) and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The LIDA tool and DISCERN instrument were used to measure the design and content of health information on the Internet. A sub-group analysis was performed on websites certified by HONcode and Information Standard against non-certified websites. The mean FRES were 56.3, mean FKG of 6.9, mean GFI of 9.5, equivalent to TIME magazine. The mean LIDA Tool overall score was 85.6% and mean DISCERN instrument was 52.2 (95% CI 45-59.4). This study shows that colorectal cancer websites were readable but potentially unreliable. Government certified sites were superior to non-certified sites. Improvements are required to provide patients with reliable information to make informed decisions on medical treatments. We propose that national cancer services develop reliable and easily readable information regarding the diagnosis and investigation of colorectal cancer. The site should provide adequate information regarding the treatment options and importantly how each treatment option would affect the patient's quality of life. Clinicians can then provide these websites to the patients before and after their consultations to allow the patient to be fully informed. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can Patients Comprehend the Educational Materials that Hospitals Provide about Common IR Procedures?

PubMed

Sadigh, Gelareh; Hawkins, C Matthew; O'Keefe, John J; Khan, Ramsha; Duszak, Richard

2015-08-01

To assess the readability of online education materials offered by hospitals describing commonly performed interventional radiology (IR) procedures. Online patient education materials from 402 hospitals selected from the Medicare Hospital Compare database were assessed. The presence of an IR service was determined by representation in the Society of Interventional Radiology physician finder directory. Patient online education materials about (i) uterine artery embolization for fibroid tumors, (ii) liver cancer embolization, (iii) varicose vein treatment, (iv) central venous access, (v) inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement, (vi) nephrostomy tube insertion, (vii) gastrostomy tube placement, and (viii) vertebral augmentation were targeted and assessed by using six validated readability scoring systems. Of 402 hospitals sampled, 156 (39%) were presumed to offer IR services. Of these, 119 (76%) offered online patient education material for one or more of the eight service lines. The average readability scores corresponding to grade varied between the ninth- and 12th-grade levels. All were higher than the recommended seventh-grade level (P < .05) except for nephrostomy and gastrostomy tube placement. Average Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease scores ranged from 42 to 69, corresponding with fairly difficult to difficult readability for all service lines except IVC filter and gastrostomy tube placement, which corresponded with standard readability. A majority of hospitals offering IR services provide at least some online patient education material. Most, however, are written significantly above the reading comprehension level of most Americans. More attention to health literacy by hospitals and IR physicians is warranted. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readability Levels of Dental Patient Education Brochures.

PubMed

Boles, Catherine D; Liu, Ying; November-Rider, Debra

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate dental patient education brochures produced since 2000 to determine if there is any change in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability. A convenience sample of 36 brochures was obtained for analysis of the readability of the patient education material on multiple dental topics. Readability was measured using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level through Microsoft Word. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the relationship among the factors of interest. Backward model selection of multiple linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between Flesch-Kincaid Grade level and a set of predictors included in this study. A convenience sample (n=36) of dental education brochures produced from 2000 to 2014 showed a mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of 9.15. Weak to moderate correlations existed between word count and grade level (r=0.40) and characters count and grade level (r=0.46); strong correlations were found between grade level and average words per sentence (r=0.70), average characters per word (r=0.85) and Flesch Reading Ease (r=-0.98). Only 1 brochure out of the sample met the recommended sixth grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 5.7). Overall, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of all brochures was significantly higher than the recommended sixth grade reading level (p<0.0001). The findings from this study demonstrated that there has generally been an improvement in the Flesch-Kincaid grade level readability of the brochures. However, the majority of the brochures analyzed are still testing above the recommended sixth grade reading level. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

The Relationship between Readability Level of Mississippi's Middle Schools' Websites and Seventh Grade Language Arts MCT2 Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickard, Anna Marlene Graves

2011-01-01

Today's educators face the unprecedented challenge of increasing achievement for all students. One response has been to increase and improve parent involvement and school-to-home communication through the use of school websites. The quantitative section of this study analyzed the readability grade level of the website as it relates to state test…

Developing a Practical Readability Tool for Assessing Written Oral Health Promotion Material for People with Low Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Silva, Andrea M.; Martin-Kerry, Jacqueline M.; Van, Kelly; Hegde, Shalika; Heilbrunn-Lang, Adina

2017-01-01

Objective: Oral health promotion resources need to be simple, useful, accessible and understandable to be effective. The importance of this is magnified for population groups who are at increased risk of poor oral health, have low literacy or language barriers. Consultation with health service providers identified the need for a readability tool…

Reassessing the Accuracy and Use of Readability Formulae

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janan, Dahlia; Wray, David

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to review readability formulae and offer a critique, based on a comparison of the grading of a variety of texts given by six well-known formulae. Methodology: A total of 64 texts in English were selected either by or for native English speaking children aged between six and 11 years. Each text was assessed…

Proceedings of the Conference on Machine-Readable Catalog Copy (3rd, Library of Congress, February 25, 1966).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

A conference was held to permit a discussion between the libraries that will participate in the Library of Congress machine-readable cataloging (MARC) pilot project. The MARC pilot will provide an opportunity for the Library of Congress to assess the effect which data conversion places on the Library's normal processing procedures; the suitability…

Improving Readability in an Explicit Genre-Based Approach: The Case of an EFL Workplace Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albino, Gabriel

2017-01-01

The present study investigates how learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) improve the readability of their texts in an explicit genre-based approach that is utilized in an oil and gas exploration workplace in Angola. By drawing on the English for Specific Purposes and Systemic Functional Linguistics genre traditions, the study engages 18…

37 CFR 1.824 - Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions in computer readable form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... which the data were recorded on the computer readable form, the operating system used, a reference...) Operating System Compatibility: MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Unix or Macintosh; (3) Line Terminator: ASCII Carriage... in a self-extracting format that will decompress on one of the systems described in paragraph (b) of...

37 CFR 1.824 - Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions in computer readable form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... which the data were recorded on the computer readable form, the operating system used, a reference...) Operating System Compatibility: MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Unix or Macintosh; (3) Line Terminator: ASCII Carriage... in a self-extracting format that will decompress on one of the systems described in paragraph (b) of...

37 CFR 1.824 - Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions in computer readable form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... which the data were recorded on the computer readable form, the operating system used, a reference... in a self-extracting format that will decompress on one of the systems described in paragraph (b) of... these format requirements: (1) Computer Compatibility: IBM PC/XT/AT or Apple Macintosh; (2) Operating...

37 CFR 1.824 - Form and format for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence submissions in computer readable form.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... which the data were recorded on the computer readable form, the operating system used, a reference...) Operating System Compatibility: MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Unix or Macintosh; (3) Line Terminator: ASCII Carriage... in a self-extracting format that will decompress on one of the systems described in paragraph (b) of...

How Readability Factors Are Differentially Associated with Performance for Students of Different Backgrounds When Solving Mathematics Word Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Candace; Clinton, Virginia; Shivraj, Pooja

2018-01-01

The link between reading and mathematics achievement is well known, and an important question is whether readability factors in mathematics problems are differentially impacting student groups. Using 20 years of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, we examine how…

An Investigation into the Economics of Retrospective Conversion Using a CD-ROM System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Co, Francisca K.

This study compares the cost effectiveness of using a CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) system known as Bibliofile and the currently used OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)-based method to convert a university library's shelflist into a machine-readable database in the MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) format. The cost of each method of…

45 CFR 205.57 - Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maintenance of a machine readable file; requests for income and eligibility information. 205.57 Section 205.57 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

Variations in Textualization: A Cross-Generic and Cross-Disciplinary Study, Implications for Readability of the Academic Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonabi, Mina Abbasi; Lotfipour-Saedi, Kazem; Hemmati, Fatemeh; Jafarigohar, Manoochehr

2018-01-01

According to discoursal views on language, variations in textualization strategies are always sociocontextually motivated and never happen at random. The textual forms employed in a text, along with many other discoursal and contextual factors, could certainly affect the readability of the text, making it more or less processable for the same…

17 CFR 240.17a-4 - Records to be preserved by certain exchange members, brokers and dealers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... readable projection or production of micrographic media or electronic storage media images and for producing easily readable images. (ii) Be ready at all times to provide, and immediately provide, any... as specified in this section or in § 240.17a-3. (j) Every member, broker and dealer subject to this...

17 CFR 240.17a-4 - Records to be preserved by certain exchange members, brokers and dealers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... readable projection or production of micrographic media or electronic storage media images and for producing easily readable images. (ii) Be ready at all times to provide, and immediately provide, any... as specified in this section or in § 240.17a-3. (j) Every member, broker and dealer subject to this...

17 CFR 240.17a-4 - Records to be preserved by certain exchange members, brokers and dealers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... readable projection or production of micrographic media or electronic storage media images and for producing easily readable images. (ii) Be ready at all times to provide, and immediately provide, any... as specified in this section or in § 240.17a-3. (j) Every member, broker and dealer subject to this...

Pediatric Audiology Report: Assessment and Revision of an Audiology Report Written to Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donald, Ashleigh J.; Kelly-Campbell, Rebecca J.

2016-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to evaluate a typical pediatric diagnostic audiology report to establish its readability and comprehensibility for parents and, second, to revise the report to improve its readability, as well as the comprehension, sense of self-efficacy, and positive opinions of parent readers. Method: In…

CLOSSS: A Machine Readable Data Base of Social Science Serials, Progress Report, 1971-1972. Working Paper No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, S. A.; Bradshaw, R. G.

Deisgn of Information Systems in the Social Sciences (DISISS) is a research project conducted to describe the main characteristics of the literature of the social sciences using bibliometric techniques. A comprehensive machine readable file of social science serials was developed which is called CLOSSS (Check List of Social Science Serials). Data…

Consent information leaflets – readable or unreadable?

PubMed Central

Graham, Caroline; Reynard, John M; Turney, Benjamin W

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this article is to assess the readability of leaflets about urological procedures provided by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) to evaluate their suitability for providing information. Methods Information leaflets were assessed using three measures of readability: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) grade formulae. The scores were compared with national literacy statistics. Results Relatively good readability was demonstrated using the Flesch Reading Ease (53.4–60.1) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (6.5–7.6) methods. However, the average SMOG index (14.0–15.0) for each category suggests that the majority of the leaflets are written above the reading level of an 18-year-old. Using national literacy statistics, at least 43% of the population will have significant difficultly understanding the majority of these leaflets. Conclusions The results suggest that comprehension of the leaflets provided by the BAUS is likely to be poor. These leaflets may be used as an adjunct to discussion but it is essential to ensure that all the information necessary to make an informed decision has been conveyed in a way that can be understood by the patient. PMID:27867520

Assessing the reading level of online sarcoma patient education materials.

PubMed

Patel, Shaan S; Sheppard, Evan D; Siegel, Herrick J; Ponce, Brent A

2015-01-01

Cancer patients rely on patient education materials (PEMs) to gather information regarding their disease. Patients who are better informed about their illness have better health outcomes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that PEMs be written at a sixth- to seventh-grade reading level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of online PEMs of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas and related conditions. We identified relevant online PEMs from the following websites: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, academic training centers, sarcoma specialists, Google search hits, Bonetumor.org, Sarcoma Alliance, Sarcoma Foundation of America, and Medscape. We used 10 different readability instruments to evaluate the reading level of each website's PEMs. In assessing 72 websites and 774 articles, we found that none of the websites had a mean readability score at or below 7 (seventh grade). Collectively, all websites had a mean readability score of 11.4, and the range of scores was grade level 8.9 to 15.5. None of the PEMs in this study of bone and soft-tissue sarcomas and related conditions met the NIH recommendation for PEM reading levels. Concerted efforts to improve the reading level of orthopedic oncologic PEMs are necessary.

Understanding online health information: Evaluation, tools, and strategies.

PubMed

Beaunoyer, Elisabeth; Arsenault, Marianne; Lomanowska, Anna M; Guitton, Matthieu J

2017-02-01

Considering the status of the Internet as a prominent source of health information, assessing online health material has become a central issue in patient education. We describe the strategies available to evaluate the characteristics of online health information, including readability, emotional content, understandability, usability. Popular tools used in assessment of readability, emotional content and comprehensibility of online health information were reviewed. Tools designed to evaluate both printed and online material were considered. Readability tools are widely used in online health material evaluation and are highly covariant. Assessment of emotional content of online health-related communications via sentiment analysis tools is becoming more popular. Understandability and usability tools have been developed specifically for health-related material, but each tool has important limitations and has been tested on a limited number of health issues. Despite the availability of numerous assessment tools, their overall reliability differs between readability (high) and understandability (low). Approaches combining multiple assessment tools and involving both quantitative and qualitative observations would optimize assessment strategies. Effective assessment of online health information should rely on mixed strategies combining quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Assessment tools should be selected according to their functional properties and compatibility with target material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Readability and quality assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to laryngeal cancer.

PubMed

Narwani, Vishal; Nalamada, Keerthana; Lee, Michael; Kothari, Prasad; Lakhani, Raj

2016-04-01

Patients are increasingly using the internet to access health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability and quality of laryngeal cancer-related websites. Patient education materials were identified by performing an internet search using 3 search engines. Readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Gunning Fog Index (GFI). The DISCERN instrument was utilized to assess quality of health information. A total of 54 websites were included in the analysis. The mean readability scores were as follows: FRES, 48.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 44.8-51.6); FKGL, 10.9 (95% CI = 10.3-11.5); and GFI, 13.8 (95% CI = 11.3-16.3). These scores suggest that, on average, online information about patients with laryngeal cancer is written at an advanced level. The mean DISCERN score was 49.8 (95% CI = 45.4-54.2), suggesting that online information is of variable quality. Our study suggests much of the laryngeal cancer information available online is of suboptimal quality and written at a level too difficult for the average adult to read comfortably. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

PubMed

Chapman, Lara; Brooks, Charlotte; Lawson, Jem; Russell, Cynthia; Adams, Jo

2017-01-01

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.

Modifying the ECC-based grouping-proof RFID system to increase inpatient medication safety.

PubMed

Ko, Wen-Tsai; Chiou, Shin-Yan; Lu, Erl-Huei; Chang, Henry Ker-Chang

2014-09-01

RFID technology is increasingly used in applications that require tracking, identification, and authentication. It attaches RFID-readable tags to objects for identification and execution of specific RFID-enabled applications. Recently, research has focused on the use of grouping-proofs for preserving privacy in RFID applications, wherein a proof of two or more tags must be simultaneously scanned. In 2010, a privacy-preserving grouping proof protocol for RFID based on ECC in public-key cryptosystem was proposed but was shown to be vulnerable to tracking attacks. A proposed enhancement protocol was also shown to have defects which prevented proper execution. In 2012, Lin et al. proposed a more efficient RFID ECC-based grouping proof protocol to promote inpatient medication safety. However, we found this protocol is also vulnerable to tracking and impersonation attacks. We then propose a secure privacy-preserving RFID grouping proof protocol for inpatient medication safety and demonstrate its resistance to such attacks.

Achieving Simultaneous CO2 and H2 S Conversion via a Coupled Solar-Driven Electrochemical Approach on Non-Precious-Metal Catalysts.

PubMed

Ma, Weiguang; Wang, Hong; Yu, Wei; Wang, Xiaomei; Xu, Zhiqiang; Zong, Xu; Li, Can

2018-03-19

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) are generally concomitant with methane (CH 4 ) in natural gas and traditionally deemed useless or even harmful. Developing strategies that can simultaneously convert both CO 2 and H 2 S into value-added products is attractive; however it has not received enough attention. A solar-driven electrochemical process is demonstrated using graphene-encapsulated zinc oxide catalyst for CO 2 reduction and graphene catalyst for H 2 S oxidation mediated by EDTA-Fe 2+ /EDTA-Fe 3+ redox couples. The as-prepared solar-driven electrochemical system can realize the simultaneous conversion of CO 2 and H 2 S into carbon monoxide and elemental sulfur at near neutral conditions with high stability and selectivity. This conceptually provides an alternative avenue for the purification of natural gas with added economic and environmental benefits. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hg-201 (+) CO-Magnetometer for HG-199(+) Trapped Ion Space Atomic Clocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burt, Eric A. (Inventor); Taghavi, Shervin (Inventor); Tjoelker, Robert L. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Local magnetic field strength in a trapped ion atomic clock is measured in real time, with high accuracy and without degrading clock performance, and the measurement is used to compensate for ambient magnetic field perturbations. First and second isotopes of an element are co-located within the linear ion trap. The first isotope has a resonant microwave transition between two hyperfine energy states, and the second isotope has a resonant Zeeman transition. Optical sources emit ultraviolet light that optically pump both isotopes. A microwave radiation source simultaneously emits microwave fields resonant with the first isotope's clock transition and the second isotope's Zeeman transition, and an optical detector measures the fluorescence from optically pumping both isotopes. The second isotope's Zeeman transition provides the measure of magnetic field strength, and the measurement is used to compensate the first isotope's clock transition or to adjust the applied C-field to reduce the effects of ambient magnetic field perturbations.

Dual-Pump CARS Development and Application to Supersonic Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magnotti, Gaetano; Cutler, Andrew D.

2012-01-01

A dual-pump Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) instrument has been developed to obtain simultaneous measurements of temperature and absolute mole fractions of N2, O2 and H2 in supersonic combustion and generate databases for validation and development of CFD codes. Issues that compromised previous attempts, such as beam steering and high irradiance perturbation effects, have been alleviated or avoided. Improvements in instrument precision and accuracy have been achieved. An axis-symmetric supersonic combusting coaxial jet facility has been developed to provide a simple, yet suitable flow to CFD modelers. Approximately one million dual-pump CARS single shots have been collected in the supersonic jet for varying values of flight and exit Mach numbers at several locations. Data have been acquired with a H2 co-flow (combustion case) or a N2 co-flow (mixing case). Results are presented and the effects of the compressibility and of the heat release are discussed.