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Erschienen in: Journal of Genetic Counseling 3/2016

29.09.2015 | Original Research

Assessment of the Readability of Genetic Counseling Patient Letters

verfasst von: Emily Brown, Megan Skinner, Stephanie Ashley, Kate Reed, Shannan DeLany Dixon

Erschienen in: Journal of Genetic Counseling | Ausgabe 3/2016

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Abstract

Patient letters are a powerful tool that genetic counselors use to communicate with their patients. Patient letters are often sent to provide information on a new diagnosis, reiterate test results, and to serve as a permanent record of the visit. Patient letters, however, are only helpful if the patients can understand them. More than 50 % of the US population reads below a 9th grade reading level and over one-third of the population has low health literacy skills. In this study we evaluate the readability of genetic counseling patient letters by assessing reading level, image use, and terminology use. One hundred forty-nine genetic counselors participated in the survey and of these, 79 submitted a sample patient letter. Analyses of the letters revealed a mean reading level of 10.93. On average, 6 genetic terms were included in each letter, and only 25 % of these terms were defined. Analyses of survey responses revealed over 75 % of the genetic counselors did not include images in their patient letters. These results indicate there is room for improvement in order to make genetic counseling patient letters more accessible to the general population.
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Metadaten
Titel
Assessment of the Readability of Genetic Counseling Patient Letters
verfasst von
Emily Brown
Megan Skinner
Stephanie Ashley
Kate Reed
Shannan DeLany Dixon
Publikationsdatum
29.09.2015
Verlag
Springer US
Erschienen in
Journal of Genetic Counseling / Ausgabe 3/2016
Print ISSN: 1059-7700
Elektronische ISSN: 1573-3599
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-015-9890-0

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