Assessment of patient education materials for age‐related macular degeneration
Elisa Wang, Michael Kalloniatis, Angelica Ly
Abstract
PURPOSE: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss. It is helpful for patients living with AMD to understand the prognosis, risk factors and management of their condition. Online education materials are a popular and promising channel for conveying this knowledge to patients with AMD. However, the quality of these materials-particularly with respect to qualities such as 'understandability' and 'actionability'-is not yet known. This study assessed a collection of online materials about AMD based on these qualities of 'understandability' and 'actionability'. METHODS: Online education materials about AMD were sourced through Google from six English-speaking nations: Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Ireland and Canada. Three Australian/New Zealand trained and registered optometrists participated in the grading of the 'understandability' and 'actionability' of online education materials using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). RESULTS: This study analysed a total of 75 online materials. The mean 'understandability' score was 74% (range: 38%-94%). The 'understandability' PEMAT criterion U11 (calling for a summary of the key points) scored most poorly across all materials. The mean 'actionability' score was 49% (range: 0%-83%). The 'actionability' PEMAT criterion A26 (using 'visual aids' to make instructions easier to act on) scored most poorly across all materials. CONCLUSION: Most education materials about AMD are easy to understand, but difficult to act on, because of a lack of meaningful visual aids. We propose future enhancements to AMD education materials-including the use of summaries, visual aids and a habit tracker-to help patients with AMD improve their understanding of disease prognosis, risk factors and eye assessment schedule requirements.