Table 2.

Literature Searches: Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Study population

All races, ethnicities, and cultural groups.

Patients of all ages and caregivers whose primary language is the same as that of the health care provider and/or intervention.

Study settings and geography

Studies conducted in the developed world including North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe.

Time period

Published from 1980 to the present.

Publication criteria

English only.

Articles in print.

Excluded were articles accepted for publication before appearance in the journal, articles in the so-called gray literature, and articles we could not obtain during the review period.

Admissible evidence (study design and other criteria)

Original research studies that provided sufficient detail regarding methods and results to enable use and adjustment of the data and results.

Eligible study designs included:

Observational studies: prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies.

Relevant outcomes must be able to be abstracted from data presented in the papers.

Single case reports or small case series (fewer than 10 subjects) were excluded.

Other study exclusion criteria included studies:

Of dyslexia and dementia;

With no original data;

With no health outcomes;

With an outcome limited to satisfaction or likeability of one intervention material compared to another;

That measured outcome only by a Cloze test of comprehension (but studies that used literacy measurements that included a Cloze test were retained);

Did not measure literacy in study participants; and

Concerning the basic experimental science of reading ability (e.g., studies of brain function including results from magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalogram).