LITERACY IN PATIENTS WITH A CHRONIC DISEASE - SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND THE READING LEVEL OF PATIENT EDUCATION MATERIALS

Objective. (1) To assess literacy in a sample of patients with systemi c lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) to evaluate the reading level of pati ent education materials specific to SLE; and (3) to compare patient li teracy levels to the readability of materials written for patients wit h SLE. Methods. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, a readin g recognition test, was given to 94 patients with SLE. Socioeconomic s tatus was assessed using Nam-Powers. Patient education materials frequ ently used with these patients were assessed for readability grade lev el. Results. The patients with SLE were reading on an average 7th-8th grade level; their average educational level (last grade completed in school) was 11.9. The average socioeconomic status (SES) according to the Nam-Powers assessment was 43, indicating high school completed, no college, an income range of $5000-$10,000, and occupations such as ho usehold workers and laborers. Multiple linear regression revealed that race and education correlated with reading (p < 0.001), but age, sex, and SES did not. The readability of surveyed SLE patient education ma terials ranged from 7th-15th grade level. Eighty-nine percent were wri tten at a 9th grade level or above and were therefore inappropriate fo r about half the patients surveyed. Conclusion. Reading skills below h igh school level existed for 48% of patients surveyed, yet only 11% of SLE patient education materials were written below a 9th grade level. Current SLE patient education materials are written on too high a lev el for many patients. Identifying patients with low Literacy may help provide more appropriate patient education and better medical care.