Patient-appropriate health literacy educational materials in ophthalmology.

Objective: To evaluate the literacy level of patients with glaucoma in a tertiary care teaching centre compared with a rural community centre and to assess comprehension of and preference for educational material written at different reading levels.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.

Participants: Patients with glaucoma presenting for routine examination or referral at a tertiary care academic centre in southwestern Ontario and a single general ophthalmology clinic located in a moderately sized suburban community in Ontario, Canada, were invited to participate in this study.