Write for Your Healthcare Audience

As you develop written healthcare materials for patients, you need to think about vocabulary and sentence structure, organization of ideas, as well as layout and design elements so that you can eliminate as many unnecessary barriers as possible.

One resource from Harvard School of Public Health, Assessing and Developing Health Materials, explores the components of reading:

Alphabetics—the process of using letters in an alphabet to represent sounds in the spoken word
Fluency—ability to read with speed and ease
Vocabulary—knowledge of the meaning of a word
Reading comprehension—a language construction process

It also differentiates between beginning, intermediate and advanced readers:

Beginning—developing skills in sounding out words
Intermediate—building background knowledge and vocabulary
Advanced—reading with speed and ease

Use the assessment tools, guidelines and sample materials provided to determine the readability of your writing.

Health literacy is a vital component of reducing hospital readmissions and adverse drug events. Go here to see how atom Alliance works with providers to improve care coordination and how you can get involved.