Examining the Readability Levels of Online Contents Including Voice Health; Ses Sağlığı Bilgisi İçeren Çevrim İçi İçeriklerin Okunabilirlik Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Objective: One of the channels for individuals to access information about their health problems is websites. The readability levels of the texts on these sites are important for patient information. The aim of this study is to reveal the readability levels of texts related to voice health presented on the internet. Material and Methods: 55 websites that met the inclusion criteria from the first 100 sites that appeared via the Google search engine using the keyword “voice health” were included in the study. The 55 included sites were divided into 4 groups: personal, hospital, newspaper and company. The informational texts in these sites were evaluated according to Ateşman and Çetinkaya Readability Indexes and their readability levels were determined. Results: Ateşman Readability Index was found to be 60 in the personal website source, 65 in the hospital source, 58 in the newspaper source and 59 in the company source. Çetinkaya Readability Index was 60 in the personal website source, 65 in the hospital source, 58 in the newspaper source and 59 in the company source. 4 subgroups were found to be of medium difficulty according to the Ateşman Readability Index, and at the educational level limit according to the Çetinkaya Readability Index. The Ateşman and Çetinkaya Readability Index result in the hospital website source was statistically higher than in other website sources (p<0.05). Conclusion: Considering that people do their research on the internet about the health problems they experience, the readability level of the informational texts on these sites is important. As a result of the evaluation of the resources encountered on the websites scanned with the keyword vocal health according to Ateşman and Çetinkaya readability indexes, it was seen that the readability level was more difficult than it should be. It is recommended to increase the readability levels of internet resources containing text about voice health and to raise awareness about this issue by conducting similar studies. © 2024 Turkey Association of Society of Ear Nose Throat and Head Neck Surgery.