Readability Levels of Online CVD Resources: English and Spanish

Abstract

This project analyzes the education levels needed to read digital patient education materials. The readability levels of the 15 most popular websites on cardiovascular disease in both English and Spanish were collected. Search terms were determined using search frequency and using direct translation between English and Spanish. Upon analysis, both English and Spanish resources were found to have an average reading level higher than that of the average American. Interestingly, each language had an outlier whose reading level significantly affected the average. These results ultimately call for a push for resources with information not only accessible but also comprehensible to the patients for whom they are created.