Readability Analysis of Commonly Cited Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in the Orthopaedic Joint Literature.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are vital for assessing surgical effectiveness and capturing patient perspectives on function, symptoms, and quality of life. To ensure patients can accurately complete these tools, readability is essential. The National Institutes of Health and American Medical Association recommend patient materials be written at or below a 6th-grade reading level. This study evaluated the readability of commonly cited PROMs in the orthopaedic joint literature to assess compliance with these standards.

Methods

Thirty-five PROMs were analyzed using 2 validated readability metrics: the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index. A FRES ≥80 or SMOG <7 indicated 6th-grade readability. Scores were cal

SUBMITTER: Uppal H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12774680 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature