Yet according to a 1993 study of adult literacy, nearly half of all adult Americans read at or below an eighth-grade reading level. The difference between what health professionals give people to read and what people are comfortably able to read contributes to a major health risk. When patients do not follow medical directions because they cannot understand them, the effect can literally be a matter of life and death. As a healthcare professional you can take action now to start simplifying the written word and help safeguard your patients lives. Learning the Skills Take advantage of every opportunity you have to become a better, more effective communicator of written health information.
Books are one way to get started learning how to write clear and understandable medical information.
Plain Language and Clear Verbal Communication by the Canadian Public Health Association. Workshops and training programs teach skills and also offer opportunities to work on real healthcare documents. Trainers and consultants, including myself, present onsite programs that focus on the specific needs of healthcare facilities and professional associations. There is also an annual summer institute for healthcare professionals given by the Maine AHEC Health Literacy Center at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. Some colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs in health communication and health literacy.