Vivian A S, Robertson E J
Clin Ther. 1980;3(2):129-36.
The reading level of representative samples of patient education materials obtained from public foundations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospitals, and commercial sources was determined according to three readability tests: Fry Readability Graph, Gunning Fog Index, and McLaughlin SMOG Grading Formula. The average reading levels ranged from grade 8.0 for foundation-sponsored materials to grade 9.9 for materials developed by pharmaceutical manufacturers. These levels are higher than the estimated average reading level of the American public. The calculation of correlation coefficients between each of the three methods, using a linear regression equation, indicates that the readability formulas do not correlate well with one another. Although these formulas may provide a convenient method to estimate the reading level, any one formula may not be appropriate for the evaluation of all health-related materials. Educational materials should be tested for readability and comprehension in sample populations before being accepted for general use.
弗莱可读性图表、冈宁雾度指数和麦克劳克林烟雾分级公式，确定了从公共基金会、制药商、医院和商业来源获取的患者教育材料代表性样本的阅读水平。平均阅读水平从基金会赞助材料的8.0年级到制药商开发材料的9.9年级不等。这些水平高于美国公众的估计平均阅读水平。使用线性回归方程计算三种方法中每一种方法之间的相关系数，结果表明这些可读性公式之间的相关性并不好。尽管这些公式可能提供了一种估计阅读水平的便捷方法，但任何一个公式可能都不适用于评估所有与健康相关的材料。教育材料在被普遍采用之前，应在样本人群中进行可读性和理解性测试。
