key: cord-0714322-f8xxfu05 authors: Moore, John E.; Millar, Beverley C. title: Improving COVID‐19 vaccine‐related health literacy and vaccine uptake in patients: Comparison on the readability of patient information leaflets of approved COVID‐19 vaccines date: 2021-05-27 journal: J Clin Pharm Ther DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.13453 sha: 800472e9ba64f13831e2f4258ccdddfe4cbea83f doc_id: 714322 cord_uid: f8xxfu05 WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Preparation of patient‐facing materials of a complex topic, such as describing new vaccines for COVID‐19, is difficult to accomplish. This study examined the readability of patient information leaflets accompanying approved COVID‐19 vaccines. COMMENT: Readability of patient‐facing literature by the medicines regulator in the United States and the United Kingdom describing the recently US (FDA) and UK (MHRA) COVID‐19 approved vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna) was assessed employing 10 metrics. Analyses showed that showed that this material had a Flesch Ease of Reading score of 53.5 and 54, respectively and a Flesch‐Kincaid reading age of between 7th and 8th Grade (12–13 year olds) and between 8th and 9th Grade (13–14 year olds), respectively. When compared to a recent study on COVID‐19 information on healthcare websites, the vaccine literature readability was favourable. WHAT IS NEW & CONCLUSION: Adoption of readability calculators and scrutiny of materials of their readability will help authors develop materials with improved understanding for COVID‐19 vaccine recipients, carers and family, potentially leading to improved health literacy and vaccine uptake. Flesch Ease of Reading score of 53.5 and 54, respectively and a Flesch-Kincaid reading age of between 7th and 8th Grade (12-13 year olds) and between 8th and 9th Grade (13-14 year olds), respectively. When compared to a recent study on COVID-19 information on healthcare websites, the vaccine literature readability was favourable. Adoption of readability calculators and scrutiny of materials of their readability will help authors develop materials with improved understanding for COVID-19 vaccine recipients, carers and family, potentially leading to improved health literacy and vaccine uptake. gov/emerg ency-prepa redne ss-and-respo nse/coron aviru s-disea se-2019-covid -19/covid -19-vaccines). In the FDA website, each vaccine is accompanied with a "Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers". It was therefore the aim of this study to examine the readability of patient-facing information materials, as provided by the UK and US Medicines Regulatory Agencies. Patient-facing information documents for COVID-19 vaccine recipients, patients and carers were sourced from the MHRA (UK) and FDA (USA) websites, relating to COVID-19 vaccines that had been recently approved in their respective countries, as shown (Table 1) . Information from these sources was copied and pasted into the subscription-based readability (ContentPro) calculator (www.reada ble.com) and a readability assessment carried out examining 10 readability metrics, in accordance with the software instructions. Calculated readability parameters for each of the vaccines in each jurisdiction are shown in Table 1 . Table 1 , both regulators managed to articulate the necessary information with a score of less than 10 (hard), with the US regulator presenting an easier to read score of 7.3 vs 9.3 by the UK regulator. The SMOG index is based on the number of polysyllabic (containing more than two syllables) words in a sample of 30 consecutive sentences. SMOG scores are one to two grades higher than results attained using some of the other readability formulas since it is based on 100% comprehension ability compared to a lower per- The last 50 years have seen the steady evolution of guidelines, laws and requirements, all supporting the use of plain language, culminating in the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Adoption of plain language approaches to scientific and medical communication will further support patients in their understanding of the background, diagnosis and treatment of their disease conditions. The availability of free and subscription-based readability calculators now allows a simple and effective way to quantitatively measure and correct written text and web-based resources for the benefit of patients. Preparation of patient-facing materials of a complex topic, such as describing new vaccines for COVID-19, is difficult to accomplish. Adoption of readability calculators and scrutiny of materials of their readability will help authors develop materials with improved understanding for COVID-19 vaccine recipients, carers and family, potentially leading to improved health literacy and vaccine uptake. None declared. John E. Moore https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5243-5108 Beverley C. Millar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0745-8722 Assessing readability of patient education materials: current role in orthopaedics Interim results of a phase 1-2a trial of Ad26.COV2.S Covid-19 vaccine Health websites on COVID-19: are they readable and credible enough to help public self-care Improving COVID-19 vaccine-related health literacy and vaccine uptake in patients: Comparison on the readability of patient information leaflets of approved COVID-19 vaccines