Abstract
OBJECTIVE: An increasing number of patients are electing to undergo balloon sinuplasty for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis due to its minimally invasive nature. This study aimed to evaluate the readability and understandability of online patient education materials (PEMs) related to balloon sinuplasty. STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional. SETTING: Digital environment. METHODS: A Google search was performed using 6 different search terms related to balloon sinuplasty. Websites related to PEMs for balloon sinuplasty were included. Four different measures of readability were utilized to assess the readability of each website: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease (FKRE), Gunning-Fog Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index. Understandability was determined using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). RESULTS: Fifty-three online PEMs related to balloon sinuplasty were included. The average FKGL was 9.07 ± 2.1, which is higher than the recommended grade reading levels. The average FKRE was 45.11 ± 9.3, indicating they were difficult for the general public to read. The mean PEMAT was 49.7 ± 16.3%, which is lower than the accepted standard of 80%, which indicates materials are not readily understandable. Most PEMs were obtained from private medical clinics (79.2%, N = 42). CONCLUSION: Online PEMs related to balloon sinuplasty are written above the recommended 6th grade reading level. Poor readability was seen across all readability measures and all material categories. Patients and clinicians alike should be aware of the shortcomings of online materials and consider the effects on patient understanding and decision making.