Objectives/hypothesis: Despite the increasing role of mobile applications (apps) in patient education, there has been little inquiry evaluating the quality of these resources. Because poor health literacy has been associated with inferior health outcomes, evaluating the quality of patient education materials takes on great importance. Our objective was to employ validated readability tools for the evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) mobile apps.
Methods: GERD-specific apps found in the Apple App Store (Apple Inc., Cupertino CA) were evaluated using the Readability Studio Professional Version 2015 for Windows (Oleander Software, Ltd, Vandalia, OH). All text was evaluated using nine validated algorithms measuring readability including Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook grading, Gunning Fog index, Coleman-Liau, New Fog Count formula, Raygor Readability Estimate, FORCAST, Fry graph, and Flesch Reading Ease score.
Results: Average reading grade levels for individual GERD apps ranged from 9.6 to 12.9 (interquartile range 10.3-12). The average reading grade level for all apps analyzed was 11.1 ± 0.2 standard error of the mean (SEM), with an average Flesch Reading Ease score for all mobile apps analyzed of 51 ± 2.05 (SEM), falling into the "fairly difficult" category given by this measure. Raygor Readability estimates that most mobile apps have a reading grade level between 10 and 12, with the majority of this outcome due to long words.
Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates the feasibility of assessing readability of mobile health apps. Our findings suggest significant gaps in potential comprehension between the apps analyzed and the average reader, diminishing the utility of these resources. We hope our findings influence future mobile health-related app development and thereby improve patient outcomes in GERD and other chronic diseases.
Level Of Evidence: NA. Laryngoscope, 127:1775-1779, 2017.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lary.26341 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Evaluation of self medication practices and prescription patterns in patients of chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional, questionnaire based study.
Perspect Clin Res
August 2024
Department of Nephrology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Background: Pharmacotherapy of chronic kidney disease (CKD) consists of prescribing myriad of drugs such as antihypertensives, antidiabetics, and phosphate binders to delay disease progression and control the comorbidities, resulting in inherent variability in prescriptions. In addition, tendency to self-medicate may further aggravate the condition. Hence, the present study was planned to assess self-medication practices and variability in prescription patterns in CKD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessment of information quality in the largest Danish Facebook group on atopic diseases: a mixed bag of help and harm.
Front Allergy
January 2025
Department of Public Health, Environment, Occupation, and Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Background: Patient education is an important part of the management of atopic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. Given the increasing reliance on social media platforms such as Facebook for health-related discourse, there are concerns about the accuracy and quality of the shared information.
Aim: The aim of this study was to categorize and assess the quality of the information shared within the largest Danish Facebook group focusing on atopic diseases.
Setting up a transgender-friendly service in a tertiary care hospital: The challenges and solutions.
Indian J Psychiatry
December 2024
Consultant Endocrinologist, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, India.
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face significant barriers to healthcare, necessitating the development of TGD-friendly medical services. In India, healthcare systems have only recently begun addressing the unique needs of TGD individuals, particularly with the advent of the Transgender Persons Act 2019. This article outlines the establishment of a comprehensive TGD clinic within a multidisciplinary framework.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChatGPT-4.0 vs. Google: Which Provides More Academic Answers to Patients' Questions on Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair?
Cureus
December 2024
Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University, New Haven, USA.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) to provide academic answers to frequently asked questions using a comparison with Google web search FAQs and answers. This study attempted to determine what patients ask on Google and ChatGPT and whether ChatGPT and Google provide factual information for patients about arthroscopic meniscus repair. Method A cleanly installed Google Chrome browser and ChatGPT were used to ensure no individual cookies, browsing history, other side data, or sponsored sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhat are the Thoughts of Women Whose Husbands' Frozen Testicular Sperm Is Thawed for in vitro Fertilization on the Day of Oocyte Retrieval? A Qualitative Study.
Int J Womens Health
January 2025
Nursing Department, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
Objective: The psychological experiences will be analyzed to understand the needs and burdens of women on the day of oocyte retrieval when the thawed testicular sperm of their husbands is used for in vitro fertilization, in order to provide a basis for the subsequent formulation of relevant nursing measures.
Methods: This study utilized a descriptive phenomenological research approach. A cohort of 13 women undergoing oocyte retrieval on the day when thawed testicular sperm from their husbands is used for in vitro fertilization at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between August and October 2024, were chosen as participants for this study.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!