Using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) to assess Parkinson’s Disease informational content websites

This study performed an assessment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) informational content websites using the grade level reading method and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Google and Bing searches were performed on 2/27/2023 and 3/3/2023 respectively for PD. A website’s grade level readability was determined using Flesch reading ease, Flesch reading level, and passive sentences percentage scores. The website informational content was also evaluated using the PEMAT A/V test for understandability and actionability by two readers, a board-certified radiologist and a high school student. Websites (n=105) were categorized into academic (30), governmental (17), health media (31), medical product companies (4), non-academic (5) and professional societies (18). Overall median scores for Flesch Reading Ease, Reading level and Passive sentence % were 40.3, 11.9 and 15.6% respectively. Median PEMAT understandability and actionability scores for reader 1 and 2 were {91%, 100%} and {90%, 100%) respectively with no significant differences between website categories. Interobserver agreement for PEMAT was significant (k=0.787). While the average grade reading level presented at the websites was higher than that recommended for the public, the acceptable PEMAT understandability and actionability scores suggested that the online information was appropriate from a patient education standpoint. The actionability and understandability of online informational PD related content; as measured by the PEMAT; may not necessarily be compromised even if Grade level reading scores reflect otherwise. The PEMAT hence captures the targeted utilitarian and pedagogical gestalt of informational websites, as opposed to the Grade level reading score, which only records the extraneous mechanics of grammar and reading ease. Also, the excellent interobserver agreement between readers of significantly different educational levels demonstrated the robustness of PEMAT.