Readability assessment of vaccine information: A systematic review for addressing vaccine hesitancy

Readability of patient and family education materials on pediatric surgical association websites

PURPOSE

Globally, pediatric surgical association websites present patient/family education materials on an extensive list of conditions, including descriptions of the condition, signs and symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and treatment options. The purpose of this project was to assess the readability of pediatric surgical association websites' patient/family education materials.

METHODS

With IRB approval, we accessed all patient/family education materials on pediatric surgical association websites from around the globe and used multiple grade-level assessments and readability assessments to determine the reading level at which the information is presented.

RESULTS

The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) website and the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) present publicly accessible patient/family education materials. Seventy-four (74) conditions on APSA's website were analyzed. Three grade-level assessments and the Flesch Reading Ease assessment indicated that the articles are written at high school reading levels. No articles were available in languages other than English. BAPS presented 6 conditions, most of which were more readable than their APSA counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis indicates that the patient/family education materials available on pediatric surgical association websites may not be written at a level that is comprehensible by the general population. Potential solutions include re-writing the materials with an emphasis on readability and presenting materials in languages other than English.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V.

COVID-19 vaccine literacy and vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women and mothers of young children in Japan

BACKGROUND

Delays in the spread of vaccination have been recognized as an urgent public health issue in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine literacy (VL) is a critical determinant of vaccine uptake; however, little is known about VL among pregnant women and mothers of young children.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a nationwide, cross-sectional internet survey in Japan on VL and vaccine hesitancy, conducted with 1,639 pregnant women and 5,688 mothers of young children who had given birth after July 2019, between July 24 and August 30, 2021.

RESULTS

Vaccine hesitancy was observed in 51.1 % of pregnant women and 31.9 % of mothers of young children. The risk of vaccine hesitancy was significantly higher among pregnant women with lower interactive/critical skills (risk ratio [RR] 2.10, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.59, 2.78, p < 0.001), although functional skills did not significantly correlate with vaccine hesitancy. For mothers of young children, we found a significantly higher risk of vaccine hesitancy among those with low VL functional skills (RR 1.38, 95 % CI 1.19, 1.61), p < 0.001) and low interactive/critical skills (RR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.10, 1.50, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that aiding individuals to correctly evaluate vaccine-related information is critical for improving vaccine acceptance rates among both pregnant women and mothers of young children. Meanwhile, improving the comprehensibility of communication toolkits may be important for women with children but have a limited effect among pregnant women.

COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among people with chronic neurological disorders: a position paper

Background and purpose

Health risks associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection are undisputed. Moreover, the capability of vaccination to prevent symptomatic, severe, and fatal COVID‐19 is recognized. There is also early evidence that vaccination can reduce the chance for long COVID‐19. Nonetheless, the willingness to get vaccinated and receive booster shots remains subpar among people with neurologic disorders. Vaccine scepticism not only jeopardizes collective efforts to end the COVID‐19 pandemic but puts individual lives at risk, as some chronic neurologic diseases are associated with a higher risk for an unfavorable COVID‐19 course.

Methods

In this position paper, the NeuroCOVID‐19 Task Force of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) summarizes the current knowledge on the prognosis of COVID‐19 among patients with neurologic disease, elucidates potential barriers to vaccination coverage, and formulates strategies to overcome vaccination hesitancy. A survey among the Task Force members on the phenomenon of vaccination hesitancy among people with neurologic disease supports the lines of argumentation.

Results

The study revealed that people with multiple sclerosis and other nervous system autoimmune disorders are most skeptical of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. The prevailing concerns included the chance of worsening the pre‐existing neurological condition, vaccination‐related adverse events, and drug interaction.

Conclusions

The EAN NeuroCOVID‐19 Task Force reinforces the key role of neurologists as advocates of COVID‐19 vaccination. Neurologists need to argue in the interest of their patients about the overwhelming individual and global benefits of COVID‐19 vaccination. Moreover, they need to keep on eye on this vulnerable patient group, its concerns, and the emergence of potential safety signals.