Our Blog: where do you stand?

Health Literacy Tips for Public Health Campaigns – Part 2

By: Beth Minnigerode | 10/19/2011

For the second post of my three-part series about health literacy tips, I'll start by answering this question - "Why should I care about health literacy?"

By some accounts, low health literacy is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system more than $58 billion annually. Along with those dollars comes the financial, emotional and mental hardship patients face when their health suffers because they didn't understand their treatment options or made poor health choices because they misinterpreted instructions.

How and what you write in your communication pieces can make all the difference. Here are some tips.

Health Literacy Tips - Writing Style

1. Write the way you talk. Imagine you are facing the person you want to reach and telling him or her your message. Say it out loud and write down exactly what you said. That will give you a good draft from which to start.


2. Make the communications piece interactive. Follow instructions with questions that ask the reader to show what they've learned.
   • EXAMPLE: "Check which of these steps you will try first to reduce your blood pressure." (Include a list of options)
3. Use specific terms instead of value words that could be interpreted differently by each patient.
   • NO: "Exercise regularly"
   • YES: "Exercise for 30 minutes, three times a week."
4. Keep sentence length under 15 words (under 10 is ideal). Make sure each word has a purpose. If it doesn't, cut it out.
   


5. Give examples to help patients call to mind a mental image. Visualizing a message makes it easier to remember.
   • EXAMPLE: "As the prostate continues to grow, it can squeeze the urethra - like pinching a straw."
6. Use pronouns like you, your, we, us and our. These words involve and engage the reader by emphasizing that a point is important to them personally.
   • NO: "Patients need to check in at the front desk."
   • YES: "You need to check in at the front desk."
7.  Avoid the use of not. Instead, positively state what you mean.
   • NO: "We will not process your insurance form until we receive the necessary supporting documents."
   • YES: "We will process your insurance form once we receive the necessary supporting documents."
8. Clarify non directional words. If you use the word "affect" describe if it is a positive or negative impact.
   • NO: "Exercise impacts people's moods."
   • YES: "Exercise boosts people's moods." 
     

Posted in Health Care