The readability of general practice websites: a cross-sectional analysis of all general practice websites in Scotland

Background General practice websites are an increasingly important point of interaction, but their readability is largely unexplored. One in four adults struggle with basic literacy, and there a socioeconomic gradient. Readable content prerequisite to promoting health literacy. Aim To assess general website by analysing text design factors, whether practices adapted the likely literacy levels populations. Design setting Websites for all across Scotland were analysed from March December 2019, using cross-sectional design. Method Text was extracted five webpages per eight factors measured, including Flesch Reading Ease Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The relationship between population’s level deprivation, measured Scottish Index Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), assessed. Overall, 10 contributing accessibility scored. Results In total, 86.4% ( n = 813/941) had website; 22.9% 874/3823) written at, or below, government-recommended reading online (9–14 years old), remaining websites, 77.1% 2949/3823), suitable higher age. Of webpages, 80.5% 3077/3823) above recommended easy-to-understand ‘plain English’. There no statistically significant association webpage age SIMD. Only 6.7% 51/764) achieved recommendations. Conclusion Changes could improve promote will need financial resources ongoing technical support if this be maintained. Failure provide readable accessible may widen inequalities; topic become as service use accelerates.