Are Information Leaflets Given to Elderly People with Diabetes Easy to Read?

This study examined 15 different leaflets routinely given to elderly patients in the diabetes unit of a teaching hospital. It used (1) a Fog Index to give a rough guide of readability, and (2) examined the size and style of print. Results were compared with those of information leaflets taken from the hospitals' acute elderly care unit, rehabilitation unit, physiotherapy department, day hospital and outpatients department. Seven out of a total 70 leaflets (10%) were as hard to read as the British Medical Journal. None of these came from the diabetes unit, which may be because the diabetes leaflets were prepared by educators with considerable experience in communicating with patients. However, the authors' awareness of the need to use simple language was greater than their awareness of the need to use legible type. Eleven of the 15 leaflets from the diabetes unit (73%) failed to meet guidelines suggested by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, a rate which differed little from the overall rate (77%). These findings suggest that those responsible for producing patient information should be more aware of the principles of effective written communication.