Best publications highlight key messages
Best publications highlight key messages
Combine good writing, layout, and organization
Many in-house publications are ineffective teaching tools because they do not meet the needs of their intended audience. "Medical staff write material from their perspective rather than from the patient's perspective," explains Susan Karlins, MPH, director of health education at Santa Clara Family Health Plan and Valley Health Plan in San Jose, CA.
Instead of determining what the patient needs to know, the writer buries essential facts in a barrage of information he or she thinks is pertinent.
Often, many facts are included in a pamphlet because the medical professional thinks the information will protect the hospital from a lawsuit. However, teaching sheets or brochures are not medical consent forms, and a sheet cluttered with facts won't protect the medical center against liability, says Karlins.
Educational materials do not substitute for one-on-one teaching, either. "Written materials are designed to reinforce patient teaching or to guide the patient counseling process. You can develop your written piece so it goes over the instructions just as an educator would teach the patient," she says.
A few simple guidelines will help staff create concise, easy-to-read patient handouts. Following are Karlins' suggestions:
· Identify need-to-know information.
Begin every writing project with a sheet of paper divided into two columns, advises Karlins. In one column, write the skills and behaviors the patient needs to know; in the second column, write information you would like the patient to know. During this project, ask a couple of patients what information they consider essential.
"It is good to restrict yourself to the need-to-know column if you want your materials to be read and understood," says Karlins.
Yet even the need-to-know information has to be prioritized to keep from squeezing too much information into one handout. Select the top three to five key messages. These points might refer to something a patient must do at home, such as look for signs of infection, or remind the patient of a behavior change, explains Karlins.
· Determine how to organize the facts.
If there is a chronological sequence to the information, such as the steps for changing a bandage or giving an insulin shot, it should be listed in that order. If there is no sequence, the information should logically follow the way a patient would think, says Karlins. Educators often can tell how patients approach a problem just by the questions they have asked in the past. If not, the author of the handout should have several patients review the order of the information to determine if it is logical to patients.
Writing style shapes copy
· Write clear, easy-to-read copy.
Highlight the key messages with bold type or by underlining the information so patients can quickly find the important facts. When explaining key points, keep the sentences short. Line length should run between 35 to 50 characters. Write in the active voice and avoid medical jargon and complex words. For example, it is better to say "get" than "retrieve." If a medical term is required, explain what it means.
Also, explain "value" words. "If you are telling someone to drink lots of water and it matters how much they drink, tell them to drink eight glasses a day if that is what you mean. Don't assume people have the same idea of what 'lots' means," explains Karlins.
· Avoid complicated layouts.
The key messages should jump out at the reader. To make the key points of text easy to find, make sure at least one-third of the page is white space. All photos or illustrations should reinforce the text and be located near the text they are illustrating. When creating a brochure, limit how many concepts are printed on each panel. If too many key messages are printed on one panel, the reader is overwhelmed, says Karlins.
Also, use dark type on a light background. Shaded backgrounds distract from the text. Sentences written in all capital letters, handwriting fonts, or fancy print are difficult to read.
"If there are a lot of illustrations and a fancy layout, it is appealing visually but it doesn't lead the reader to actually read and comprehend the material," says Karlins. (For help in evaluating the readability of written materials, see readability evaluation on pp. 130-131.)
· Keep patient mix in mind.
If different cultures will use the brochure or handout, make sure the text is culturally appropriate, says Karlins. "Have a professional from your target culture review the material to look for elements you might have missed that may be culturally related," says Karlins. When a professional is not available, have a few patients from that culture review the material.
Also, avoid idioms when writing materials that will be translated into other languages. For example, a pamphlet on toddler and infant nutrition written in English might use a toy train to illustrate the booklet and a pun such as chew chew train. However, the pun would not translate into Spanish, says Karlins.
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