In this new series, “You Keep Saying That Word!,” we are going to talk about words that we see or hear often, but that CHL writers don’t normally use in health communication. Consider this our list of replaceables. These are words that we don’t consider easy for everyone to understand. But rest assured, we will […]
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Citing Your Sources Makes You Credible to Your Readers… Or Does It?
When writing health information for patients and the public, one way to ensure clinical accuracy is to draw on information from reputable sources. Writers at UAMS CHL do this a lot. In the past, part of our motivation for doing so was to lend credibility to the piece; that is, we believed that including citations […]
Risk Communication: Do Your Numbers Help or Confuse?
Have you ever read a newspaper headline like this: “Eating better reduces risk of heart disease by 20%, science says”? What does this mean, exactly? Read More
Four Reasons Why We Are #Crushing on Plain Language
It is not news that we have a little crush on plain language. Plain language can lead to better health, especially for those that struggle with health information. Read More
Field Testing: Tricks of the Trade
As we laid out in a recent post, it is important to test health-related materials with your target audience. Doing so is an ideal way to find out if your materials are truly readable, understandable, and actionable. Read More
Helping Your Patients Address the Right Questions
Any time we hear an ad for a new medicine or medical treatment, we are encouraged to ask our doctor if the treatment is “right” for us. But what does “right” actually mean? As providers, we can do a lot to help patients understand. Read More
Take the #PlainPledge
During health literacy month, the UAMS Center for Health Literacy is urging healthcare professionals to take a pledge to stop using jargon that is hard to understand and instead use words that people know the first time they hear or read them. Read More
Celebrate Health Literacy Month
Effective health communication is imperative for improving health outcomes in patients and community members. Join in the webinar to learn about the implications of health literacy and a few best practices for improving communication with your patients or program participants, including teach-back. Read More
Field Testing: The Gold Standard for Assessing Your Materials
Have you ever wondered why your patients don’t follow your instructions – even when you gave them an easy-to-read handout? If this puzzles you, consider this: Despite its reading level, the handout may not be understandable or have the information needed for the reader to act. Read More
Readability: Is that your final answer?
How many times have you heard someone talk about a document’s “reading level”? Or heard someone say, “Readability is between 6th and 8th grade, so it is a good document.” If your goal is to check a box and meet an organizational policy, well done. But, if your goal is to help a reader understand a health topic […]