Evaluation of the readability of the package inserts of hormone replacement therapy, combined oral contraceptives, and progestin-only pills: Analytical Research: Cross-Sectional Study

FATİH AKKUŞ , YUSUF DAL

  • FATİH AKKUŞ: Kütahya Şehir Hastanesi
  • YUSUF DAL: MERSİN ÜNİVERSİTESİ TIP FAKÜLTESİ
  • Year : 2024
  • Vol : 40
  • Issue : 4
  •  Page : 185-191
ABSTRACT
Aim: The comprehension of a written text is directly related to its readability. There are specific formulas to objectively measure readability. The readability of package leaflets is also important for public health. This study aimed to determine the readability level of the package inserts of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), combined oral contraceptives (COCP), and progestin-only pills (POP).
Material and Method: The official website of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency created a list of all over-the-counter and prescription hormone preparations that are sold in pharmacies and can be used by women. Hormone preparations sold with or without a prescription in Turkey are divided into three groups according to their content: HRT, COCP, and POP. Ateşman, Bezirci-Yılmaz, and Çetinkaya-Uzun readability formulas, which are valid for Turkish texts, were used to evaluate these texts. The research was conducted with a two-sided 5% significance level and a 95% confidence level.
Results: The mean values of the Ateşman readability index for the three drug groups were quite similar, between 70.5 and 71.3 (p = 0.690). The mean values of the Çetinkaya-Uzun readability index were quite similar, between 49.9 and 50.7 (p = 0.627). Bezirci-Yılmaz shows that the readability index for the three drug groups is divided into two categories: 7-8 grade and 9-10 grade. The majority of the package inserts for each drug group fall into the 7-8 grade category, indicating that the package inserts are quite easy to read and understand. There is no significant difference between the Bezirci-Yılmaz readability index for three different drug groups (p = 0.534).
Conclusion: Considering the average level of education in Turkey, the readability level of the package inserts for these preparations is high. Adjusting the language and structure of package inserts to align with the average education level will increase the readability and, therefore, the comprehensibility. Future studies could incorporate factors such as visual presentation and user feedback to enhance the comprehensibility of package inserts.
Keywords: Hormone replacement therapy, combined oral contraceptives, readability, package insert, progestin-only pills
Cite this Article As : Akkus F, Dal Y. Evaluation of the Readability of the Package Inserts of Hormone Replacement Therapy, Combined Oral Contraceptives, and Progestin-Only Pills: Analytical Research: Cross-Sectional Study. Selcuk Med J 2024;40(4): 185-191

Download Citation: Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) RIS File

Download Citation: BibTeX BibTeX File

Conflict of interest : The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
This article is published under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Selcuk Medical Journal
2024, Vol. 40 (4)
ISSN: 1017-6616
E-ISSN: 2149-8059
Received : , Accepted : , Published Online :

References

  1. 1. Zhu Y, Yang X, Wang Y, Zhu X. Assessment of knowledge, understanding and awareness of Chinese women clinical staff towards menopause hormone therapy: a survey study. Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2023;43(1):2171779.
  2. 2. Tursinbaeva M. Combined Oral Contraceptives: Side Effects Review. Asian Research Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 2020;4(1):26-33.
  3. 3. Wollum A, Zuniga C, Blanchard K, Teal S. A commentary on progestin-only pills and the "three-hour window" guidelines: Timing of ingestion and mechanisms of action. Contraception. 2023;122:109978.
  4. 4. Yilmazel G. Low health literacy, poor knowledge, and practice among Turkish women patients undergoing cervical cancer screening. Journal of cancer research and therapeutics. 2019;15(6):1276-81.
  5. 5. Akkuş M. Evaluation of the Readability of Antidepressant Drug Package Inserts Commonly Used in Psychiatry. Osmangazi Tıp Dergisi. 2023;45(5):689-95.
  6. 6. Alper S, Kazan ED. How readable are antihypertensive drug inserts? Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine. 2023;6(2):273-6.
  7. 7. https://www.titck.gov.tr/faaliyetalanlari/ilac/ilac-hakkinda
  8. 8. Ateşman EJDD. Türkçede okunabilirliğin ölçülmesi. 1997;58(71-74).
  9. 9. Bezirci B, Yilmaz AE. Metinlerin okunabilirliğinin ölçülmesi üzerine bir yazilim kütüphanesi ve Türkçe için yeni bir okunabilirlik ölçütü. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Fen ve Mühendislik Dergisi. 2010;12(3):49-62.
  10. 10. Çetinkaya G, Uzun L. Türkçe ders kitaplarındaki metinlerin okunabilirlik özellikleri. Türkçe ders kitabı çözümlemeleri. 2018.
  11. 11. Goldbort R. Readable writing by scientists and researchers. Journal of environmental health. 2001;63(8):40-1.
  12. 12. Haynes RB. Improving patient adherence: state of the art, with a special focus on medication taking for cardiovascular disorders. Patient Compliance in Health Care Research: American Heart Association Monograph Series Armonk, NY: Futura Publishing Co. 2001:3-21.
  13. 13. MacLaughlin EJ, Raehl CL, Treadway AK, Sterling TL, Zoller DP, Bond CA. Assessing medication adherence in the elderly: which tools to use in clinical practice? Drugs & aging. 2005;22(3):231-55.
  14. 14. Institute of Medicine Committee on Health L. In: Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer AM, Kindig DA, editors. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US) Copyright 2004 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.; 2004.
  15. 15. Coulter A, Ellins J. Effectiveness of strategies for informing, educating, and involving patients. BMJ (Clinical research ed). 2007;335(7609):24-7.
  16. 16. Flesch R. A new readability yardstick. The Journal of applied psychology. 1948;32(3):221-33.
  17. 17. Ley P, Florio T. The use of readability formulas in health care. Psychology, Health Medicine. 1996;1(1):7-28.
  18. 18. Boztaş N, Özbilgin Ş, Öçmen E, Altuntaş G, Özkardeşler S, Hancı V, et al. Evaluating the Readibility of Informed Consent Forms Available Before Anaesthesia: A Comparative Study. Turkish journal of anaesthesiology and reanimation. 2014;42(3):140-4.
  19. 19. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Ulusal-Egitim-Istatistikleri-2022-49756
  20. 20. Haw C, Stubbs J. Patient information leaflets for antidepressants: are patients getting the information they need? Journal of affective disorders. 2011;128(1-2):165-70.
  21. 21. Ay İE, Duranoğlu Y. Göz damlası prospektüslerinin okunabilirlik düzeyinin değerlendirilmesi. Anatolian Clinic the Journal of Medical Sciences. 2022;27(1):55-9.
  22. 22. Emre E, Tutar MS, YIıldız M, Canıtez A, Özlem K, Kozanhan B. İntravenöz ve intramüsküler enjeksiyon bilgilendirilmiş onam formlarının okunabilirlik açısından değerlendirilmesi. Anatolian Clinic the Journal of Medical Sciences. 2019;24(2):132-6.
  23. 23. Munsour EE, Awaisu A, Hassali MAA, Darwish S, Abdoun E. Readability and Comprehensibility of Patient Information Leaflets for Antidiabetic Medications in Qatar. The Journal of pharmacy technology : jPT : official publication of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians. 2017;33(4):128-36.
  24. 24. Dağdelen C, Erdemoğlu E. Determination of the Readability Level of Consent Forms Used in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic at Suleyman Demirel University. Cureus. 2023;15(4):e37147.