Article type
Abstract
Background: Cochrane Systematic Reviews (CSRs) have guidance and standards for elaborating plain language summaries (PLSs) in a readable style for laypeople. Succinct and readable PLSs will serve the relevant aim of knowledge translation to deliver the message to a broad variety of audiences and cultures. The readability of CSRs in Spanish and how it may have improved after the last Cochrane Guidance (2022) remain to be determined.
Objectives: To analyze the readability of PLSs and abstracts of CSRs of interventions in Spanish before and after the implementation of the newest Cochrane guidance. We will also compare the readability of the translated abstracts with the readability of the original CSRs published in English.
Methods: Cross-sectional study of CSRs published in 2019 and 2023, translated into the Spanish language. We excluded protocols, withdrawn reviews, Cochrane Clinical Answers, and nonintervention CSRs. We assessed the readability of the Spanish language abstracts and PLSs using the readability INFLESZ scale (or Szigriszt Pazos’ perspicuity formula)—validated for measuring the readability of Spanish language texts—which scores the difficulty for reading a text from 0 (very hard) to 100 points (very easy) (see Table 1).
Results: We retrieved 505 CRSs published in 2019 and 415 published in 2023. The resulting INFLESZ score for 2019 abstracts was 56.68 (± 6.59), while PLS scored 50.87 (± 6.62), which was significantly different (P < 0.001); ie, PLSs were less readable. We have partially analyzed the PLSs and abstracts published during 2023, with similar results.
Conclusions: The Spanish language abstracts and PLSs of CSRs published in 2019 showed a readability of normal to moderately difficult, respectively, for laypeople. Moreover, we found that PLSs are significantly less readable than abstracts in all the assessed CSRs. We have partially analyzed the PLSs and abstracts published during 2023 after the release of the guidance, with similar results. The full results will be presented at the GES 2024.
Patients involvement: The topic is of great importance to patients and consumers.
Program domains: 4.2 Effective Knowledge Dissemination
Objectives: To analyze the readability of PLSs and abstracts of CSRs of interventions in Spanish before and after the implementation of the newest Cochrane guidance. We will also compare the readability of the translated abstracts with the readability of the original CSRs published in English.
Methods: Cross-sectional study of CSRs published in 2019 and 2023, translated into the Spanish language. We excluded protocols, withdrawn reviews, Cochrane Clinical Answers, and nonintervention CSRs. We assessed the readability of the Spanish language abstracts and PLSs using the readability INFLESZ scale (or Szigriszt Pazos’ perspicuity formula)—validated for measuring the readability of Spanish language texts—which scores the difficulty for reading a text from 0 (very hard) to 100 points (very easy) (see Table 1).
Results: We retrieved 505 CRSs published in 2019 and 415 published in 2023. The resulting INFLESZ score for 2019 abstracts was 56.68 (± 6.59), while PLS scored 50.87 (± 6.62), which was significantly different (P < 0.001); ie, PLSs were less readable. We have partially analyzed the PLSs and abstracts published during 2023, with similar results.
Conclusions: The Spanish language abstracts and PLSs of CSRs published in 2019 showed a readability of normal to moderately difficult, respectively, for laypeople. Moreover, we found that PLSs are significantly less readable than abstracts in all the assessed CSRs. We have partially analyzed the PLSs and abstracts published during 2023 after the release of the guidance, with similar results. The full results will be presented at the GES 2024.
Patients involvement: The topic is of great importance to patients and consumers.
Program domains: 4.2 Effective Knowledge Dissemination