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e23135 Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common adult leukemia, accounting for approximately 80% of all cases. In the modern healthcare landscape, a substantial number of patients turn to online platforms such as Google for information pertaining to their diagnoses and treatment options. This study sought to assess 14 online AML websites for their understandability and actionability using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Methods: Fourteen patient-facing U.S. online AML websites were searched in Google, selected and analyzed using the PEMAT criteria. The PEMAT rating tool is a freely accessible online resource evaluating print and audiovisual information. The ‘understandability’ section is scored out of 17 possible points and the ‘actionability’ section is scored out of 6 possible points. The websites were rated by two independent reviewers and any discrepancies were discussed. The websites were categorized by Government, Public/Private companies, Patient Advocacy Groups, Professional Societies, and Cancer Centers. Results: The study analyzed 14 websites on AML education material. The mean ‘understandability’ score was 85% ( Range: 79%–92%); Government scored the highest, followed by Professional Societies, Patient Advocacy Groups, Cancer Centers, and Private/Public Companies. PEMAT metric 11 ‘the material provides a summary’ scored poorest across all ‘understandability’ criteria. The mean ‘actionability’ score was 66% ( Range: 56%–90%); Patient Advocacy Groups scored the highest, followed by Professional Societies, Government, Private/Public Companies, and Cancer Centers. PEMAT metric 26 ‘the material uses visual aids whenever they could make it easier to act on the instructions’ scored poorest across all ‘actionability’ criteria. Conclusions: Most of the AML websites analyzed were easy to understand but lacked material that prompts patients to take action. As patients turn to online website sources for information, it is crucial that these education materials provide clear information that patients can appropriately act on. This study highlights an opportunity to enhance online patient education material by adding action-oriented features, such as content summaries, tangible tools, and visual aids. Table: see text
Weiss et al. (Sat,) studied this question.