Question

How do you determine the reading level of patient materials and if a patient can read health information they have been given?

Answer 1

The reading level of patient materials can be determined by the help of some readability formulas which uses the factors such as sentence length, syllable density, and word familiarity.

Some of the readability formulas which are used for the determination of reading levels are :-

• Flesch reading ease score : Score = 206.835 - 0.846 x number of syllables per 100 words - 1.015 x average number of words per sentence.
• Flesch Kincaid grade : Grade = 0.39 x average number of words per sentence + 11.8 x number of syllables per word - 15.59. It is the most commonly used formula available only in English. It is extensively validated, and quick and easy to administer.
• Gunning fog index : Index = 0.4 x (average number of words per sentence + percentage of words with more than two syllables). It needs less time to administer as compared to Flesch reading ease score and Flesch Kincaid grade.
• SMOG readability formula : SMOG score = 3 + square root of polysyllables count in 30 sentences.
• Dale chall readability formula : score = 0.0496 x average number of words per sentence + 0.1579 x percentage of unfamiliar words + 3.6365

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