A Comparative Multimetric Assessment of English and Spanish Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Materials

Anna Rose Johnson; Andres F Doval; Melisa D Granoff; Sabine A Egeler; Miguel G Bravo; A Samandar Dowlatshahi; Samuel J Lin; Bernard T Lee

doi:10.1016/j.jss.2019.01.032

A Comparative Multimetric Assessment of English and Spanish Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Materials

J Surg Res. 2019 Jun:238:64-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.01.032. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Authors

Anna Rose Johnson¹, Andres F Doval¹, Melisa D Granoff¹, Sabine A Egeler¹, Miguel G Bravo¹, A Samandar Dowlatshahi¹, Samuel J Lin¹, Bernard T Lee²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
² Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: blee3@bidmc.harvard.edu.

PMID: 30739070
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.01.032

Abstract

Background: Spanish-speaking Hispanics living in the United States utilize the internet as a primary means to obtain health information. Accurate, accessible information is important for English speakers; however, it could have even greater utility for Spanish speakers who have lower health literacy levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare online English and Spanish carpal tunnel surgery materials provided by using a multimetric approach.

Materials and methods: A web search using the English term "carpal tunnel surgery" was performed. The first 10 institutional/organizational websites that provided carpal tunnel surgery information in English and Spanish were included. All relevant online materials were evaluated using the Patient Education and Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool (CSAT), and Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook, Spanish (SOL) to assess understandability and actionability, cultural sensitivity, and readability, respectively.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in understandability or actionability scores between Spanish and English materials. Average cultural sensitivity scores for Spanish materials were significantly lower than English materials (P = 0.015). The average reading grade level of online English materials was greater than that for Spanish materials (P = 0.011). Both mean values were above the recommended sixth-grade reading level.

Conclusions: Online patient-directed information regarding carpal tunnel surgery exceeded the recommended reading grade level for both English and Spanish-speaking populations. Most Spanish materials were often direct translations and were not contoured to the elevated literacy needs of this demographic. Institutions must caution their authors to tailor their web material in a way that is sensitive to their target population to optimize understanding.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel surgery; Cultural sensitivity; Health literacy; Patient education; Readability; eHealth.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Access to Information
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / surgery*
Comprehension
Health Literacy*
Hispanic or Latino
Humans
Internet*
Language
Orthopedic Procedures*
Patient Education as Topic / methods*
Reading
Translating
United States