As plain language communicators, one of our main goals is to help the learner understand the content, so we must address medical jargon and other uncommon terms.
Read More
Blog
Make Resolutions with Meaning in 2023
Happy 2023! From all of us at the Center for Health Literacy, we wish you a year filled with health, happiness, and success. By now you may already have a list of new year’s resolutions. If you do, or even if you don’t, we have a few for you to consider. Our resolutions focus on what we know best: clearly communicating health information so it is easy to read, understand, and use.
Organizational Health Literacy: Meeting the Healthy People 2030 Objectives
What is organizational health literacy?
Organizational health literacy involves the strategies health care organizations implement to make it easier for patients to:
- Understand health information
- Navigate the health care system
- Engage in health care processes and manage their health
Plain Language Tips We Hope You’ll be T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. For
Pumpkin spice is in the air, and social media feeds are rich with refreshing stories of gratitude. “Plain language communication” is a broad term, and the team here at CHL is thankful for the long list of strategies we can use to achieve this.
Read More
Getting to the Outcomes You Care About: Use Teach-Back to Confirm Understanding
We heard through the grapevine that you have important information to share with patients, the public, or research participants. How well your learners understand your health-related instructions can make a huge difference in important areas like safety, self-care, preventive behaviors, and participation in research studies.
Read More
Is a picture really worth a thousand words?
In a 1921 issue of the trade journal “Printers’ Ink,” Fred Barnard writes, “a picture is worth a thousand words” to make the point that pictures are often more effective at conveying a message than words. But does this same idea apply in health-related materials? While visuals can be an effective way to communicate, especially for people with limited literacy, they can also be confusing if not used optimally.
Read More
M.O.V.E. Toward Emotional Wellness: An Online Patient Education Module
Emotional wellness is an important element of overall health. Your ability to manage life’s daily stressors can affect your ability to carry out everyday activities, your relationships, and your overall well-being. Everyone can work on their emotional wellness. Even if your emotional wellness is good, you can do things to keep it there.
We Won’t Beat Around the Bush: Avoid Idioms in Your Health-Related Writing
So, let’s all get on the same page about using idioms in health writing. You may be thinking that they can make your writing more funny, witty, and interesting. And, maybe they do, but have you ever thought about how they land on your audience?
Inclusive Writing Tips for Your LGBTQ Audience
When working to promote or improve health, one of our top concerns is to uphold the dignity and humanity of those we serve. We don’t get to decide what is offensive or stigmatizing to others, but we can take steps to communicate with respect and strive to be as inclusive as possible.
Equity in Accessibility of Health Materials
Providing health materials in more than one language is more than translating and converting words from one language to another while keeping the same message. The high-quality production of materials in a new language should reflect the beliefs and practices of the target audience.