21 Jun What is the national literacy or reading level per rese

Analyzing the Readability of the Asthma Brochure

The Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) is an evaluation instrument that employs a hand-scored technique. According to Grabeel et al. (2018), the tool enables healthcare provider to assess the grade level of patient education. From the asthma brochure, there are multiple words containing three or more syllables in different sections of the document.

10 sentences near the beginning = 14 syllables

10 sentences in the middle = 12 syllables

10 sentences near the end = 22 syllables

Total syllables sampled = 48

Approximate square root = 7

SMOG = 7 + 3 = 10.

The readability of the given text is of great significance since it determines how well the audience understands a given text. The document can be improved using various approaches. For instance, shortening the longest sentences (Oliffe et al., 2019). This can be achieved by splitting long sentences into two. Another approach is to use fewer syllables. Using one to two-syllable words when possible can help improve the scores of the education material. Besides, long words should be avoided unless they are broadly used and familiar to many people. The third approach involves the use of short words. This is because it is highly likely that longer words will contain at least three variables.

The results were not expected and this is based on the general appearance of the text. Overall, the brochure appears to be written in short sentences and short paragraphs, suggesting that it should have a higher readability score. On the contrary, the SMOG tool has demonstrated the material is comprised of multiple syllables that affect its readability scores. Based on the outcomes, it is evident that the brochure can be improved to make it more engaging to the target audience. This would help ensure that the patients understand and adhere to the message being communicated in the brochure.

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References

Grabeel, K. L., Russomanno, J., Oelschlegel, S., Tester, E., & Heidel, R. E. (2018). Computerized versus hand-scored health literacy tools: a comparison of Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Flesch-Kincaid in printed patient education materials. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(1), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.262

Oliffe, M., Thompson, E., Johnston, J., Freeman, D., Bagga, H., & Wong, P. (2019). Assessing the readability and patient comprehension of rheumatology medicine information sheets: A cross-sectional Health Literacy Study. British Medical Journal Open, 9(2), e024582. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024582