Differences in Reading Level and Commercial Information Content in Pharmacy-Provided Health Information Printouts
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0092-8615/2002 Copyright 0 2002 Drug Information Association Inc.
DIFFERENCES IN READING LEVEL AND COMMERCIAL INFORMATION CONTENT IN PHARMACY-PROVIDED HEALTH INFORMATION PRINTOUTS PHILIPD. ROLLAND, BS PHARMACY, MED PSYCHOLOGY, RpH Clinical Psychiatric Consultant Pharmacist, Hot Springs, Arizona
Objectives: To determine whether the reading level of health information printouts and the inclusion of commercial information varied in a statistically significant manner in printouts obtained from a retailpharmacy. Methods: A total of 31 different health information printouts were evaluated for reading level using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) readability analysis. Chi-square was used to determine differences in the presence or absence of four commercial content parameters: mention of a health organization, mention of a manufacturer, mention of a drug, or mention of a dose. Results: A single-sample t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in reading level among the health information printouts, t (30)= 47.91, p < 0.000, two-tailed. Chi-square analysis found no significant difference in whether a health organization, x2(1, n = 31) = 1.58, p = 0.21, or a manufacture6 ~ ' ( 1n, = 31) = 2.61, p = 0.11, were mentioned. There was a statistically significant difference in whether a drug, ~ ' ( 1n, = 31) = 9.32, p = 0.002, or a dose, ~ ~ (n 1= 31) , = 20.16, p = 0.000, was mentioned. Conclusions: The fact that reading levels and the mention of a drug or dose was significantly direrent among the printouts suggests that these were not random events. It is thought that printouts, which have strong commercial overtones, are prepared in a manner to influence consumers to seek these products from their health care provider and not to strictly provide information on a particular health condition or disease state. Key Words: Commercial information; Health information; Literacy; Readability analysis
INTRODUCTION THE ADULT Literacy Survey (NALS) has estimated that 40 million adults are functionally illiterate and another 50 million are marginally literate (1). This means that approximately 90 million adults in the United States have only marginal reading skills. An accumulating body of research is
Reprint address: Philip D. Rolland, 2481 E. Grand, Hot Springs, AR 7 1901. E-mail: [email protected].
showing that poor reading skills may be a de facto barrier to receiving or being able to utilize health care services properly. Indeed, several studies have shown that consent forms and health education materials given to patients often exceed their reading level (2-9). Another area of concern is over-thecounter (OTC) labels. Ryan-Haddad et al. found that nearly half of study respondents had difficulty in reading and understanding product labels (10). Their results demonstrate that a large proportion of the elderly have a significant problem reading and understand-
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Philip D. Rolland
ing OTC product labels. The difficulty p
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