Assessment of the Readability, Availability, and Quality of Online Patient Education Materials Regarding Uveitis Medications

Purpose: To assess the availability, quality, and readability of online patient education materials regarding uveitis medications. Methods: The top 10 Google search results for 10 commonly prescribed uveitis medications (prednisone, azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, adalimumab, and infliximab) were analyzed for readability and accountability. Readability was assessed with the Flesch reading ease score, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Gunning Fog Index, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index, and Coleman Liau Index. JAMA benchmarks were used to assign websites accountability scores. Statistical analysis was performed with two-tailed t-tests. Results: Of 100 search results, none complied with the recommended sixth-grade reading level across all readability formulas. Only one website satisfied all 4 JAMA benchmarks, two websites were able to satisfy three benchmarks, and the remainder achieved two or less. Conclusions: Online information regarding uveitis medications lacks accountability and is not written at an appropriate level for the average patient.