MP-2 - EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF ONLINE PATIENT EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL FOR PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IN CANADA

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is now a leading therapeutic approach for coronary artery disease revascularization. Given the increasing intricacy of the procedure, patients undergoing PCI may seek additional information online. Yet, the reliability of such online resources remains uncertain. This study seeks to systematically assess the quality of online patient resources concerning PCI, specifically from Canadian hospital sources.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a descriptive study evaluating the online educational materials pertaining to PCI hosted by Canadian hospitals that perform the procedure. The primary outcomes were readability, assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and understandability plus actionability assessed using the Printable Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for print and audiovisual materials. Patient-focused health information is recommended to be written at the grade 6 reading level. A PEMAT score at or below 70% corresponds to a poorly understandable or actionable educational material.

A total of 24 Canadian hospitals performing PCI and hosting unique educational content were identified. The average FKGL of the analysed content was 10.9. The highest FKGL identified was 24.5 and the lowest 5.4. The average total PEMAT print score was 46.1% and only 5/24 pieces of educational content scored higher than the target of 70%. Only 6 of the 24 hospitals provided educational content in audiovisual format but the average total PEMAT audiovisual score was 71.8%.


Conclusion: Most of the educational material pertaining to PCI created by Canadian hospitals is in print format and of poor readability, understandability, and actionability. Audiovisual material performs better but is sparsely used. As patients increasingly turn to the internet for online health information, health care systems will need to revisit existing online health material to ensure it is available in an accessible and digestible manner that empowers patient decision making.