NCT06736808

Patient Understanding of Handouts at Different Reading Levels

Assessment of Patient Understanding of Educational Material at Above and Below a Sixth Grade Reading Level

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 156 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn if participants are better able to understand medical handouts written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to those written at above a sixth grade reading level. The main question it aims to answer is: • Do participants score higher on a knowledge test after reading a handout written at below a sixth grade reading level compared to after reading a handout written at above a sixth grade reading level? Researchers will compare knowledge scores on pelvic organ prolapse after participants read a handout written at an eight grade reading level compared to the same handout re-written to be at a fifth grade reading level. Participants will: * Read a one page handout (written at either above or below a sixth grade reading level) on pelvic organ prolapse * Complete a one page multiple-choice test on pelvic organ prolapse

Detailed description

The secondary objective is to determine characteristics of patients whose knowledge levels are higher after reading educational material written below a sixth grade reading level compared to material written above a sixth grade reading level.

Conditions

• Health Literacy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Handout Written at Below a Sixth Grade Reading Level	Participants randomized to this experimental arm will read a simplified handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at below a sixth grade reading level.
OTHER	Handout Written at Above a Sixth Grade Reading Level	Participants randomized to this control arm will read a standard handout on pelvic organ prolapse written at above a sixth grade reading level.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-12-19
• Primary completion: 2025-03-21
• Completion: 2025-03-21
• First posted: 2024-12-17
• Last updated: 2025-04-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States