AHRQ Tool Evaluates Understandability, Actionability of Patient Education Materials

​The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a tool that can help healthcare organizations assess the quality of patient education materials and select those that best address health literacy demands. Designed to be used by healthcare providers, health librarians, and others who are tasked with providing high-quality materials to patients or consumers, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) uses a systematic method to evaluate and compare the understandability and actionability of patient education materials. The PEMAT is available in two versions, one for print materials and one for audiovisual materials, and requires no training to use beyond reading the accompanying user's guide.