Category: We Heart Health Literacy

Many of us here at We ❤ Health Literacy Headquarters also ❤ a certain controversial piece of punctuation: the semicolon. If prompted, we might even gush about its unique and graceful qualities. So it’s with a heavy heart that we must declare — once and for all — that the semicolon has no place in plain language communication. Here’s why.

First, many people don’t use the semicolon properly, making it a recipe for confusion. Because you share our grammar geekiness, dear readers, you know that semicolons are used to link 2 phrases that could stand on their own (i.e., independent clauses) but are related enough to warrant a stronger connection. Unfortunately, many people don’t know this; thus, they use it incorrectly.

Second, the semicolon can feel very formal and academic — stuffy, even. And while we don’t think it necessarily deserves the bad rap, we can’t deny the association (think legal documents, research papers, and never-ending lists).

So, skip the semicolons in your plain language health materials. If you find yourself staring helplessly at a sentence with a semicolon, the best solution may be to break it into 2 sentences. (After all, a semicolon connects 2 standalone phrases, right?)

You can also consider the other punctuation marks in your grammar toolbox. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re particularly partial to the em dash ( — ). And if you’re using semicolons to separate a long list of items, try good ol’ fashioned bullets instead.

But the semicolon fun isn’t totally over — in your personal correspondences and literary contributions, disregard this advice and use ’em to your ❤’s content.

The bottom line: Semicolons aren’t invited to the plain language party — but you can make it up to them later.

Tweet about it: Save the semicolons to punctuate fancy jargon and stick to simpler options in #HealthLit materials. @CommunicateHlth explains why: https://bit.ly/2SXQ5Mu

It’s been 12 months of We ❤ Health Literacy — and we can’t believe this tiny idea for a weekly email has grown so much! We’re just shy of 1,000 recipients and excited for another year. (And please encourage your fellow health literacy geeks to sign up!)

We thought we’d take a look back at our most popular posts and reflect on all the fun we’ve had. So without further ado, here are our top 5 posts from year 1:

• You, dear reader…
• Which is better: A photo or an illustration?
• How to Use (or Not Use) Stock Photos
• The Great Pronoun Dilemma
• Indecent Exposure

Thanks to all of you for being such involved readers over the last year. We look forward to getting more of your great topic ideas and hearing your thoughtful comments for years to come!

The bottom line: It’s our birthday and we couldn’t have done it without you!

We know that you all ❤ health literacy — and we bet you have some serious health literacy skills, too. But were you born with your amazing ability to parse tricky health information? Or did someone teach you these skills? We’re guessing it’s the latter!

This week, we’re taking a little trip down memory lane and sharing our appreciation for a document that helped lay the groundwork for educating health literacy superstars like you.

In 2008, The Centre for Literacy (now, sadly, closed) hosted a summit that set out to redefine health literacy, develop rationale for teaching health literacy in schools, and guide the creation of curricula. The product of their work was the Calgary Charter on Health Literacy. And it’s awesome.

The Charter provides a framework for some of our very favorite activities: providing health information that’s easy to use and understand, helping people transform information into action… we could go on. And on and on.

But the Charter’s most valuable contribution may be that it redefines health literacy as a mutual exchange between people and their health systems — a 2-way street of health information.

Just look at this gem from page 2:

“Prior definitions have largely identified health literacy as relating to the patient, and have under-emphasized the role of health system personnel. One of the goals of a health literate society is to have a more equal power relationship between those who work in the health system and those who use it.”

Yes! Yes! Yes! Shout it from the rooftops, dear readers. It’s that good. If you love it as much as we do (and that’s a lot), you can put your name on it. Visit the site to add your signature to the bottom of the Calgary Charter.

The bottom line: Check out the Calgary Charter on Health Literacy to get inspired about making health literacy part of a well-rounded education.

Tweet about it: Check out @CommunicateHlth’s tribute to the Calgary Charter on #HealthLit (eracy): https://bit.ly/358yGGP

As you doubtless already know, dear readers, “dose” certainly isn’t the most confusing health-related word out there (don’t even get us started on “hypertension”). But it’s also not our favorite — it’s both a tad clinical and a touch vague. You don’t have to strike it from your vocabulary completely, but think of it like a pungent cologne: “dose” works best in small doses. Use it sparingly!

So what’s the alternative? To get around “dose,” try talking about the “amount” of medicine or “how much” people need to take. Observe:

• Make a list of all your medicines, including how much you take and when you take it.
• The amount of medicine you need depends on how much you weigh.

Sometimes, you can also replace “dose” with a specific quantity.

• Instead of: If the first dose doesn’t make you feel better, it’s okay to take a second dose.
• Write this: If 1 aspirin doesn’t make you feel better, it’s okay to take 2.

And once in a while, “dose” really is the best word for the job. For example: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.

So use your judgment — just don’t over-dose your health content! [Mic drop.]

The bottom line: Follow our prescription for clear communication and use “dose” only as needed.

Tweet about it: They say it’s the dose that makes the poison, so use “dose” sparingly in #HealthLit content, says @CommunicateHlth: https://bit.ly/2JzoX2j

As we’ve discussed before, people struggle with numbers. Today, we’re talking about how to explain common measurements — or, in other words, “How much stuff is that?”

It’s hard to visualize common measurements like an ounce, an inch, a cup — or a ton. An easy solution to this problem is to make comparisons to everyday objects.

For example:

• A serving of meat is 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards).
• The cleanup program removed 500 tons of dirt from the area around the chemical spill — that’s 50 dump truck loads!

Here are a few other comparisons that we’ve found helpful:

• 2/3 cup = a doorknob
• 1/4 inch = a pencil eraser
• 1 inch = the widest part of a quarter
• 3 inches = the long side of a credit card
• 6 inches = the long side of a dollar bill
• 1 ton = a Toyota Yaris hatchback

Your equivalents may not always be exact measurements, but that’s okay. The idea is to give people a general sense of “how much.”

The bottom line: When writing about amounts, sizes, or weights, help out your readers by making comparisons to everyday objects.

Today’s post will address one of our favorite topics: unnecessarily complex health terms!

Let’s start with a pop quiz. Pretend you’re writing a patient handout. What’s the best way to tell someone she’ll have to spend the night in the hospital?

• a. You’ll be hospitalized overnight
• b. You’ll be admitted to the hospital for the night
• c. You’ll need inpatient care at the hospital
• d. You’ll need overnight observation in the hospital
• e. It’s a trick question — the question is the answer

Exactly — with an “E.” Just skip the fancy words and say what you mean: “You’ll have to spend the night in the hospital.”

There’s no need to risk confusing people with overcomplicated language. “Hospitalization” has 6 syllables! We’ve said it before, dear readers, and we’ll certainly say it again: just keep it simple.

And in case you were wondering, the title of this post is a trick question, too.

The bottom line: Instead of using complex terms like “hospitalized” or “admitted,” use words that everyone knows.

Tweet about it: Hospitalized? Admitted? Inpatient care? How about “spending the night?” http://bit.ly/1ny0bRN #HealthLit via @CommunicateHealth

This week, we share our top design tips for health information. Enjoy!

1. Plan where your content will live. Will it live on a printed flyer, on a website, on a mobile app, on a houseboat in the Florida Keys? Each platform requires a different design approach. Wherever your content will live, plan for design accordingly — before you develop the content.

Source: usability.gov

1. Chunk content. Organize your content into easy-to-look-at chunks. This will make your material look appealing and keep your reader from getting overwhelmed. Keep your paragraphs and line lengths short.

Source: healthfinder.gov

1. Make room for white space. We never tire of preaching the benefits of white space. Keep in mind that white space is not always “white.” It’s just space on the page that gives your content (and reader) room to breathe.

Source: NYC.gov

1. Achieve balance. It turns out in both life and design, we need balance. The composition of a page, from its layout to its colors, needs to appear balanced.

Source: Burton.com

The bottom line: When developing health information materials, don’t forget that good content needs good design.

So what exactly is the difference between plain language and readability? And what about health literacy? How do they fit together? Or are they the same?

Never fear, dear readers! We’re here to take a quick look at what it really means to talk about readability, plain language, and health literacy. They’re all important — and they’re definitely related — but each term means something different.

Readability is how easy (or not) something is to read. Readability formulas measure this by looking at the length of the words and sentences in a document. They can tell you what grade level your document is written for, and they’re everywhere — Microsoft Word even has one built in. But we’re not fans of these formulas because they don’t take into account plain language principles or the user’s context.

Plain language is writing that people can understand. It ensures that people can easily grasp your message the first time they read it. We’ve written about many plain language principles before, like:

• Using familiar terms
• Chunking information
• Writing in a conversational tone

When you get plain language right, readability naturally comes with it. But something written in plain language won’t improve health literacy if people don’t know what to do with the information.

Health literacy is a person’s ability to access, understand, and use health information so they can make informed choices about their health. It’s a complex concept that depends on the quality and clarity of the communication as well as the skills and experience of the user. On the communication side, plain language is important — but writing for health literacy also means making the content relatable and actionable for your audience.

Whew. Now you have the facts you need to settle all those heated cocktail party disputes. (No really. We talk about this stuff at cocktail parties.)

The bottom line: Readability, plain language, and health literacy are all important — so it pays to understand what makes each unique.

Tweet about it: What’s the difference between readability, plain language, and #HealthLit? @CommunicateHlth explains: https://bit.ly/2uLSRsU