Online Spanish language patient educational materials in dermatology lacking

There is a need for more Spanish language education materials online for Spanish-speaking patients, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Dermatology virtual meeting.

Texts from nine online sources, containing 254 Spanish language education materials, were collected and analyzed using the Spanish Lexile Analyzer and Índice Flesch-Szigriszt.

The average Lexile measure was 1005L, which corresponds to an 8th to 10th grade reading level, while the average INFLESZ score was 64.60, which also correlated to an 8th to 10th grade reading level.

“While the average United States adult reads at or below an 8th grade reading level, the American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health recommend [patient education materials] be written below the 6th grade level,” the study authors wrote. “Despite a broad search method, it was difficult to find accessible dermatologic information written in Spanish, even in the presence of English language articles on similar topics.”

As health literacy is associated with worse dermatologic outcomes, the authors recommended an expansion of Spanish language information.

“This study highlights an important gap in online education for Spanish-speaking patients seeking dermatologic information,” they wrote.