BACKGROUND Patient experience is a key quality outcome for modern health services, but most existing survey methods are long and setting-specific. We identified the need for a short generic questionnaire for tracking patient experience. METHODS We describe the development and validation of the howRwe questionnaire. This has two items relating to clinical care (treat you kindly; listen and exp...

BACKGROUND We evaluated readability and related features of English-language instructions accompanying pedometers, including reading grade level, layout/formatting characteristics, and emphasis of key points. METHODS We identified 15 pedometers currently available for purchase in the US. Reading grade level was calculated using Flesch-Kinkaid (FK) and SMOG formulas. Text point size was measur...

OBJECTIVES To develop and validate Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT) in Malaysia. METHODS The OPAAT was modified from the Malaysian Osteoporosis Knowledge Tool and developed from an exploratory study on patients. Face and content validity was established by an expert panel. The OPAAT consists of 30 items, categorized into three domains. A higher score indicates higher knowled...

BACKGROUND Informed consent in research is partly achieved through the use of information sheets. There is a perception however that these information sheets are long and complex. The recommended reading level for patient information is grade 6, or 11-12 years old. AIMS To investigate whether the readability of participant information sheets has changed over time, whether particular study cha...

Miranda warnings enshrine the constitutional rights of custodial suspects against self-incrimination. However, the wording and sentence complexity of Miranda warnings and waivers vary dramatically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. This study is the first extensive investigation of Miranda warning variations examining 560 Miranda warnings from across the United States. With Flesch-Kincaid readi...

The aim of the present study was to critically evaluate the accuracy and readability of English Wikipedia articles on the respiratory system and its disorders and whether they can be a suitable resource for medical students. On April 27, 2014, English Wikipedia was searched for articles on respiratory topics. Using a modified DISCERN instrument, articles were independently scored by three asses...

Formality has long been of interest in the study of language and discourse, and different measures of formality have been developed to predict genre variation. However, it is unclear to what extent these formality metrics are similar to the formality construct perceived by humans. This study first investigated what linguistic features predicted the text formality as humans constructed, then dev...

[1] We provide new insights into the lithosphere-mantle coupling problem through a joint modeling of lithosphere dynamics and mantle convection and through comparison of model results with the high resolution velocity gradient tensor model along the Earth’s plate boundary zones. Using a laterally variable effective viscosity lithosphere model, we compute depth integrated deviatoric stresses ass...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to analyse the readability of paediatric oral health education leaflets available in Australia. METHODS Forty paediatric oral health education materials were analysed for general readability according to the following parameters: Thoroughness; Textual framework; Terminology; and Readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Gunning Fog index (Fog) ...

CONTEXT According to the american medical association (AMA) and the national institutes of health (NIH), the recommended readability of patient education materials should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level. The online patient education information produced by the american academy of orthopaedic surgeons (AAOS) may be too complicated for some patients to understand. This study evalua...