Reid J C, Ringenberg Q S, Kardash C M, Robinson R D, Scholes R, Kunz C
Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia.
Mo Med. 1994 Sep;91(9):589-92.
In this study with lung cancer patients, we describe not only text characteristics that hinder comprehension, including unfamiliar words and poor organization, but also reader characteristics that hinder comprehension, such as educational level, and what the patient wants to know. Based on our and other's research we recommend writing what the reader wants to know, relating new learning to what the learner already knows, and using organizational cues for clarity and emphasis.
