Readability of Society for Vascular Surgery patient education flyers does not meet national standards
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Objectives The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) launched the Highway to Health campaign to enhance public awareness of vascular disease through educational content. The effectiveness of such materials depends on adherence to national recommendations that patient‐facing content be written at a 6th‐grade reading level to ensure accessibility for the median U.S. adult. With evidence suggesting that patient education materials frequently exceed recommended reading levels across medical disciplines, we aimed to assess the readability of all SVS Highway to Health patient education flyers. Methods We analyzed all publicly available SVS Highway to Health flyers using four validated readability metrics: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Automated Readability Index (ARI), and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE). FKGL, SMOG, and ARI scores (which correlate with grade level) <6.0 and FRE scores >80 indicate 6th‐grade reading level compliance. Estimated reading times were calculated at 200 words per minute, and descriptive statistics were reported. Results None of the fifteen reviewed flyers met the recommended 6th‐grade readability threshold. Mean scores were FKGL 9.9 (SD 1.7), SMOG 12.1 (SD 1.5), ARI 9.4 (SD 1.8), and FRE 43.8 (SD 10.6). The mean reading time was 3 minutes (range: 2–5 minutes). The most readable flyer was on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which ranged from 7 th -to-11 th ‐grade reading level with different measures (FKGL 7.6, SMOG 11.0 ARI 7.4), while the least readable was on Cerebrovascular Disease at a 14th‐to-15 th -grade reading level (FKGL 13.9, SMOG 15.0, ARI 14.1). Conclusions The SVS Highway to Health campaign fails to meet established health literacy standards despite its public awareness mission. Materials average nearly a 10th‐grade reading level—four grades above national recommendations. These findings raise concerns about accessibility and equity in vascular disease education efforts, particularly for vulnerable populations with limited health literacy. Improving readability should become a central priority in vascular public health outreach, with further research needed to assess whether these materials effectively reach and engage intended audiences.
Source: JVS-Vascular Insights
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
OpenAlex ID: W4412439313