Can Clients Understand Our Instructions?

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Abstract
This study was designed to determine whether or not clients in an ambulatory care setting read at a level that allowed them to comprehend the written materials available for patient education. First, 106 adults waiting for clinic appointments were interviewed, and their reported and actual reading levels were compared. Reported reading levels, indicated by the clients' last grade completed in school, were significantly higher (mean—3.1 grades) than their actual reading levels, indicated by scores on the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT). Second, the readability levels of written materials available for patient education were evaluated. The mean readability level for the 28 instructional texts examined was 11.2 grades. The majority (54.7%) of study participants read at levels that did not allow them to comprehend any of the patient education materials available at their site of primary care. In addition, 25 percent of the texts examined were beyond the comprehension of all participants.