Purpose

Clear and accurate genetic information should be available to health-care consumers at an individualized level of comprehension. The objective of this study is to evaluate the complexity of common online resources and to simplify text content using automated text processing tools.

Methods

We extracted all text from Genetics Home Reference and MedlinePlus in bulk and analyzed content using natural language processing. We applied custom tools to improve the readability and compared readability before and after text optimization.

Results

Commonly used educational materials were more complex than the recommended reading level for the general public. Genetic health information entries from Genetics Home Reference (n = 1279) were written at a median 13.0 grade level. MedlinePlus entries, which are not exclusively genetic (n = 1030), had a median grade level of 7.7. When we optimized text for the 59 actionable conditions by prioritizing medical details using a standard structure, the average reading grade level improved.

Conclusion

Factors that increase complexity are long sentences and difficult words. Future strategies to reduce complexity include prioritizing relevant details and using more illustrations. Simplifying and providing standardized online health resources would benefit diverse consumers and promote inclusivity.

中文翻译：

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为不同的读者优化遗传学在线资源。

目的

医疗保健消费者应该能够以个体化的理解水平获得清晰准确的遗传信息。本研究的目的是评估常见在线资源的复杂性，并使用自动文本处理工具简化文本内容。

方法

我们从 Genetics Home Reference 和 MedlinePlus 批量提取所有文本，并使用自然语言处理分析内容。我们应用自定义工具来提高可读性并比较文本优化前后的可读性。

结果

常用的教育材料比一般公众推荐的阅读水平更复杂。来自 Genetics Home Reference ( n = 1279) 的遗传健康信息条目 的平均成绩为 13.0。MedlinePlus 条目不完全是遗传的（n  = 1030），平均等级水平为 7.7。当我们通过使用标准结构优先考虑医疗细节来优化 59 个可操作条件的文本时，平均阅读等级水平有所提高。

结论

增加复杂性的因素是长句和难词。未来降低复杂性的策略包括优先考虑相关细节和使用更多插图。简化和提供标准化的在线健康资源将使多样化的消费者受益并促进包容性。