Patient understanding of postsurgical instruction forms

An estimated 20 to 48 million adults in the United States are functionally illiterate, and the number is reportedly increasing. The medical, nursing, and pharmaceutical professions have pioneered examination of the issues surrounding the readability of written instructions, but little introspection has been presented in the dental literature on the subject. Written instructions have been shown to be a valuable supplement to verbal instructions, but many forms and brochures are written at too high a grade level for many patients to be able to read and understand them. Materials should be written in a way that makes it possible for patients to understand them even if those patients read at a sixth- to eighth-grade level. This article examines the issues surrounding the writing of patient instructions and makes recommendations for improvements. Future clinical research is proposed.