An evaluation of the Texas "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet: A state mandated patient education document for induced abortion

Many patient educational documents are written at a grade level higher than the level at which most individuals can read. This discrepancy can lead to treatment noncompliance and negative health outcomes. Therefore, it is important that patients receive readable health information. The Texas "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet is a state mandated informational document provided to women seeking abortion services. Given the significance of the abortion procedure, it is imperative that women considering having an abortion receive accurate and readable health materials. However, no published studies were found that evaluated the readability of the "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the readability of the "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet. To assess the readability, the Flesch-Kincaid readability test was used to evaluate the reading grade level of the entire "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet and each of the 7 sections of the booklet. The results showed that the readability of the entire booklet as well as each section of the booklet was written below the 8th grade reading level. Although the booklet was written below the estimated United States reading level (8th grade), the reading level of this booklet may still be too high for people in Texas who read below the 8th grade level. Based on these results, it is recommended that health care professionals involved in the distribution and explanation of the "A Woman's Right to Know" booklet provide their patients with both written and verbal medical information. The patients should be allowed to ask questions about the abortion procedure so that they can make the most informed choice.^

MS 073 Guide to the William C. Moloney MD papers; 1952-1954

William C. Moloney MD kept a personal journal, with photographs, for much of his two years in Japan with the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. In January of 1986, Dr.Moloney donated his journal, correspondence and diary pages to the Harris County Medical Archive. He died in 1998 at the age of 91. His first contribution was a set of ten reprints representing his work with the ABCC from 1952 to 1954. Dr.Moloney's journal is a fine document, one which will be of great use to historians. It is an important record of personal impressions, thoughts and details of events. The journal gives new insights into the work of the ABCC and into the people who participated in that work. Dr. Moloney wrote in his journal from April 1952 to February 1954. The Korean War was on and there was a great deal of military activity in southern Japan. The collection is open for research. The collection consists of a handwritten journal, loose calendar or notebook pages and some reprints. The journal is in generally fair condition. The paper is slightly acidic and the binding is loose. There are numerous photos glued onto the pages. The collection encompasses the years 1952-1954 and is 0.25 cubic feet (1 box).