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Biomedical subjects

P Simón Lorda

Publications and source records attributed to P Simón Lorda.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Can patients read what we want them to read? Analysis of the readability of printed materials for health education].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze readability and legibility of a systematic sample of health education materials made available at a health center, and to propose recommendations for improvement. DESIGN: Observational, descriptive study. SETTING: An urban health center in Madrid, Spain. MATERIAL: A sample of text from 326 health education documents. MAIN MEASURES: The 326 texts were classified according to target reader, organism responsible for publication, topic, and date of publication. A sample of 500 words from each document was analyzed with Microsoft Word 2000 to determine the Flesch readability score and sentence complexity index, and to calculate the INLEG index. Print size and accompanying graphics were also analyzed. RESULTS: Readability of the materials was generally acceptable, with a mean Flesch score of 13.56. However, the type tended to be too small (mean 11.37 points). In 32% of the documents there were no illustrations, and no date of publication was given in 46%. CONCLUSIONS. The readability and legibility in the group of documents we analyzed could both be improved by following the recommendations offered here. Further research is needed on the techniques used to analyze readability and legibility, especially with regard to the latter.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2003

[Measurement of the legibility of written texts. Correlation between the Flesch manual method and computer methods].

OBJECTIVE: To compare, for the calculation of the Flesch legibility index, the original manual method and the computer programmes Word Perfect 7 and Microsoft Word 2000; and to correlate these with other computer measurements of legibility. DESIGN: Descriptive, observation study. SETTING: A Madrid Health Centre, within a study of the legibility of health education (HE) leaflets. MATERIAL: A sample of text from 100 HE leaflets and 11 general control texts. Main measurements. The 11 texts were analysed through Flesch' s original manual method and the computer programmes mentioned, with which the number of words and sentences, the Flesch scores, the index of sentence complexity and the LEGIN index were calculated. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for all the variables. RESULTS: There was very good correlation between the manual measurement of the Flesch index, the number of words and sentences, and their determination by means of computers (r>0.75); and excellent correlation between the two programmes (r>0.9). The results support the cut-off scores in other studies for legibility measured by computer. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of legibility through the computer programmes used can reliably replace manual measurement of the Flesch index.

Reading↗
PubMed1997

[Transmission routes of hepatitis C virus in carrier patients and study of family contacts].

A study was made of the routes of transmission of HCV in 106 carrier patients and the prevalence of antibodies to HCV antigen (HCV Ab) in 132 family contacts (mothers, sexual partners and children of carrier women) attended at a Primary Care Center in Madrid. The following data were obtained through a personal interview: age, gender and possible routes of contagion. Also, ALT and serologic status to HBV. Household contacts were interviewed and HCV Ab status obtained. Only in 21 patients (19.8%) was no risk factor found ("sporadic cases"). Eighty-one individuals (76.4%) and 13 (12.3%) had percutaneous transmission and sexual transmission risk factors, respectively. Out of 18 studied mothers, two (11.1%) had HCV Ab. The prevalence of HCV Ab in household contacts was 8.35%. These results suggest that the proportion of sporadic cases decreases significantly when a thorough investigation is carried out in carrier patients. The percutaneous route is responsible for most of HCV infections. The prevalence of HCV Ab among household contacts appears to be higher than among general population.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[The legibility of written informed consent forms].

BACKGROUND: The generation of the use of informed consent forms makes necessary to grant their legibility for patients. Up to now, we didn't have in Spain a suitable yardstick for evaluating the reading levels. METHODS: A sample of 10 texts of diverse procedence, 8 journals and 16 informed consent forms were collected. They were analyzed using the Grammatik 6.0 utility of the word processor Word Perfect 6.1, and four parameters were obtained: number of words, number of sentences, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Sentence Complexity. In addition an Integrated Readability Level (LEGIN) was calculated. RESULTS: Flesch Level and Sentence Complexity give a suitable and complementary analysis of readability, which is enhanced by the LEGIN. The acceptably reading level is obtained when the Flesch-Kincaid Level is above 10, the Sentence Complexity is under 40 and, overcoat, the LEGIN is above 70. Just 5 of the 16 consent forms had the adequate LEGIN level. Another 5 had the Flesch correct levels and 7 the adequate Sentence Complexity. CONCLUSIONS: The Grammatik utility of the word processor Word Perfect 6.1 is a suitable yardstick to analyze the readability, but is necessary to complete the analysis with the LEGIN, to render more sensibility and especificity. It's mandatory to enhance the readability of written forms to grant the ethical quality of the informed consent process.

Forms and Records Control↗