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
Blog
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 […]
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. Read More
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? Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
Numbers are Hard: Make them Easy with 3 Tips
Numbers are common in all types of health communication, including medicine doses, reading a glucometer, or using a nutrition label to calculate calories from fat. But they can also be confusing. Read More
Patient Safety Relies on Clear Communication
Patient safety is an ongoing priority for healthcare providers and administrators, but patients and families are also vital to this effort. For example, hospital staff can follow protocols to prevent poor outcomes for sepsis, but if patients and families also know what to look for, they can serve as ongoing monitors and become confident and […]
Look Through the Health Literacy Lens
A perspective from Jennifer Gan, MBA, Center for Health Literacy affiliate faculty member and former instructor With over 15 years in clinical and educational research, I have seen firsthand the importance of clear communication. While consenting Spanish speakers for studies in my prior work in neuropsychiatric research, I did my best to translate medical and […]
Take a Bow, Health Literacy! You Rocked 2021!
From all of us at the UAMS Center for Health Literacy, Happy New Year! As we welcome 2022, we celebrate some national trends that excited us last year and renew our commitment to you and our mission for 2022. Read More