Reading skills of otolaryngology outpatients: implications for informationprovision

The aim of this prospective observational study was to estimate the proport ion of otolaryngology patients with poor reading skills, as a guide to info rmation provision. The subjects were a consecutive series of 50 adult outpa tients attending a general otolaryngology clinic at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, and whose first language was English. Reading skills were estimat ed using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine. For comparison, the SMOG readability formula was used to estimate the reading skills requir ed to understand the Department's 35 information leaflets, the standard ele ctive admission notification letter and the surgical consent form. Fourteen (28 per cent) patients were found to have poor reading skills (8th grade o r less). The surgical consent form required 11th grade reading ability, as did the standard admission letter, and the leaflets required 9th to 15th gr ade (graduate) reading ability (median 11th grade). Many patients could be expected to have difficulty understanding these written materials. Informat ion must be written in plain English to be suitable for a wide range of pat ients, including those with poor reading skills.