Readability and Quality Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials for Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia

( Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth . 2024;71(8):1092–1102. doi: 10.1007/s12630-024-02771-9) A study assessed the readability and quality of online patient education materials about spinal and epidural anesthesia, focusing on whether they align with recommended guidelines for accessibility. The American Medical Association suggests health-related materials should be written at or below a sixth-grade reading level to ensure comprehension by a broad audience. The researchers utilized Google Search to evaluate 261 webpages found through 11 relevant search terms. Seven readability formulas were used, including the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Coleman–Liau Index (CLI), Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), New Dale–Chall (NDC), and Automated Readability Index (ARI).