Abstract
Background/Aims Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) created the Program for Readability In Science & Medicine (PRISM) in 2005 to help overcome the well-documented problem of low readability among research consent forms and other print materials created for study participants. Since then, PRISM training and editing services have helped GHRI researchers consistently meet the 8th-grade reading level target recommended by most IRBs. Our newest public-domain resource, PRISM Online Training, was launched with grant funding in October 2010 to help other institutions do the same.
Methods The hour-long online tutorial includes:
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Background on health literacy;
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Readability challenges in research and links to helpful tools;
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Plain language strategies and pre-post examples from participant materials;
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Interactive editing examples and exercises.
Registration for the course is required and a 10-question evaluation is optional.
Results Although we designed the training specifically for researchers, a wide range of health care professionals are taking it. After 11 months in the field, 506 users from institutions across the US and abroad had registered, including: 214 (43%) investigators or research staff; 82 (16%) health educators; 41 (8%) clinicians; 36 (7%) IRB administrators or members; and 35 (7%) medical writers/editors. Four hundred seventeen users answered an optional question about how they heard about the course, revealing that 206 (49%) learned about it through a colleague or on a listserv. One-hundred forty-seven users completed the evaluation and provided consistently high ratings, including: 135 (92%) agreed or strongly agreed that the course was a good use of their time; 135 (92%) agreed or strongly agreed that they learned readability strategies they could immediately apply; and 137 (93%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the course to others. Boosting skills and knowledge was the most-cited reason for taking the course; fulfilling an institutional requirement was the least-cited reason.
Discussion This free online training is an effective way to boost the plain language skills of the research community—and of other health care professionals. Word-of-mouth and listserv recommendations were more effective drivers of dissemination than targeted conference presentations or newsletter announcements. Enhancing individual skills was a more common motivator for taking the course than fulfilling institutional requirements.
