Readability of Online Informed Consent Forms for Implant-Based Breast Augmentation Across 6 Languages: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Breast augmentation is one of the most performed aesthetic surgical procedures worldwide. Given its elective character and potential complications, clear and comprehensible informed consent is essential.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to evaluate and compare the readability of online informed consent forms for implant-based breast augmentation in languages used in the countries with the highest procedural volumes according to the 2024 International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) survey.

METHODS

The phrase "breast augmentation consent form" was translated into 8 languages and searched using Google in private mode. After applying exclusion criteria, 77 documents were analyzed. Readability was assessed using the Läsbarhetsindex (LIX) index.

RESULTS

The overall mean LIX score was 53 (SD 9), corresponding to very difficult texts. Significant differences in readability were observed between languages (P<.001). English-language forms demonstrated the lowest mean LIX score (46, SD 7), classified as difficult, whereas Portuguese (55, SD 9), Italian (58, SD 6), and Turkish (63, SD 2) were assessed as very difficult or highly complex. No document was classified as easy or moderately difficult. There were no statistically significant differences in readability between private and nonprivate practice sources, nor was there any correlation between the number of available forms and mean LIX values.

CONCLUSIONS

Online consent forms consistently exhibit high linguistic complexity, underscoring the need for systematic simplification and standardization.