JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) is a reliable and validated instrument for assessing the understandability and actionability of patient education materials. It has been applied in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, enabling cross-field and cross-national comparisons of material quality. Evidence from studies using PEMAT over the past decade has underscored its potential impact on patients and the public.

Objective:

The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) is a reliable and validated instrument for assessing the understandability and actionability of patient education materials. It has been applied in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, enabling cross-field and cross-national comparisons of material quality. Evidence from studies using PEMAT over the past decade has underscored its potential impact on patients and the public.

Methods:

This review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol (PRISMA-P) guidelines. PubMed, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), APA PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core Collection will be systematically searched for articles published in September 2014. Two independent reviewers conducted a search to obtain a list of relevant studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Rayyan QCRI software will be used for screening and data extraction.

Results:

The results will be included in the full systematic review, which is expected to start in September 2024 and be completed for submission by early 2025.

Conclusions:

The findings of this review are expected to help identify the quality of materials evaluated using PEMAT and the areas under evaluation. This review also highlights the gaps in research and practice in improving material understandability and actionability, offering deeper insights into how existing materials can facilitate patient and public action.