Table 4.
Readability Scores of Seven Independent Readability Formulas for Original Versus Edited PEMs Included in the Present Study
| Readability Formula | Original PEMs |
Edited PEMs |
Change in Mean | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |||
| Flesch Reading Ease Score | 52.9 | 6.9 | 68.8 | 5.6 | 15.9 | P = 5.5E-13 |
| Gunning Fog | 12.7 | 1.7 | 8.6 | 1.4 | –4.1 | P = 1.5E-13 |
| Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level | 9.8 | 1.4 | 6.4 | 1.1 | –3.4 | P = 1.9E-13 |
| The Coleman-Liau Index | 11.7 | 1.0 | 10.0 | 0.8 | –1.7 | P = 5.2E-09 |
| The SMOG Index | 9.6 | 1.2 | 6.8 | 1.0 | –2.9 | P = 1.0E-12 |
| Automated Readability Index | 9.9 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 1.2 | –3.6 | P = 1.5E-13 |
| Linsear Write Formula | 10.2 | 2.1 | 5.9 | 1.1 | –4.3 | P = 2.0E-12 |
PEMs, patient education materials; SMOG, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook; SD, standard deviation.