Patient Understanding of Handouts at Different Reading Levels

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Health Literacy

Treatments: Other: Handout Written at Above a Sixth Grade Reading Level; Other: Handout Written at Below a Sixth Grade Reading Level

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06736808

24-2684

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if participants are better able to understand medical handouts written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to those written at above a sixth grade reading level. The main question it aims to answer is:

• Do participants score higher on a knowledge test after reading a handout written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to after reading a handout written at above a sixth grade reading level?

Researchers will compare knowledge scores on pelvic organ prolapse after participants read a handout written at an eight grade reading level compared to the same handout re-written to be at a fifth grade reading level.

Participants will:

• Read a one page handout (written at either above or below a sixth grade reading level) on pelvic organ prolapse
• Complete a one page multiple-choice test on pelvic organ prolapse

Full description

The secondary objective is to determine characteristics of patients whose knowledge levels are higher after reading educational material written below a sixth grade reading level compared to material written above a sixth grade reading level.

Enrollment: 156 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Must be able to complete pen and paper questionnaire

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to understand or read English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

156 participants in 2 patient groups

Below Sixth Grade Reading Level

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this experimental arm will read a simplified handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at below a sixth grade reading level.

Treatment:

Other: Handout Written at Below a Sixth Grade Reading Level

Above Sixth Grade Reading Level

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants randomized to this control arm will read a standard handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at above a sixth grade reading level.

Treatment:

Other: Handout Written at Above a Sixth Grade Reading Level