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To the Editor.—Over the past few decades, the demand for consumer health-related information has increased dramatically. Easy-to-understand health-related information correlates with increased patient satisfaction.^1-4 Patient education is both a science and an art. I was pleased to see the JAMA Patient Page,⁵ and I find it useful in educating patients. I have evaluated many patient-oriented computer software programs and databases, and I found the Patient Page to be complete, accurate, and useful.

However, in future issues, extra attention should be given to the type size and sentence spacing.⁶ Type size is crucial to readability; at least 12-point type is generally recommended, especially for older patients. Adequate spacing between letters, lines, and paragraphs also enhances readability. Typically, text spacing should have no more than -3 kerning (space between letters), while sentence spacing should have 2- to 4-point leading (space between lines). By enhancing readability, the JAMA Patient Page would increase . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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