A Content Analysis of Patient Education Materials across the Continuum of Care: Consistency and Accessibility

Health care increasingly requires complicated self-care regimens that demand patients and family caregivers learn about unfamiliar topics and practices to support their recovery. Due to the prevalence of low health literacy, patient education materials must comply with health literacy standards so that all patients understand how to take care of themselves. This content analysis examines the quality and consistency of patient education materials used at a large academic medical center to inform self-care of burns, tracheostomy, and peripherally-inserted central catheters. The Patient Education Material Assessment Tool (PEMAT) was used to evaluate thirteen patient education materials from inpatient, outpatient, and home health settings. PEMAT scores were associated with the presence of visual aids and document source. Consistency of materials was greatest among documents describing self-care for burns. Study methods employed may be used as a foundation for assessment of additional patient education materials.Master of Science in Library Scienc