Category: We Heart Health Literacy

In Episode 3 of our space series, we want you to think about empty space. And no, this isn’t philosophy class or your latest meditation — it’s an important part of communicating health information. When you’re developing health content, think about the space it will occupy ahead of time.

It’s like furniture shopping — you need to know the size of your apartment before you purchase that oversized La-Z-Boy sofa set.

For example, if you’re creating a website, make the navigation labels descriptive but short. Your users want to know what’s in each section of the site — but if they’re viewing it on mobile (as many people do), you don’t want lengthy menu items taking up a lot of space.

On the other hand, if you’re writing a tri-fold brochure, we’re very sorry. Kidding! Make sure your content will fit in each panel with comfortable margins and a readable font — and room to fold the paper.

If you have too much content for your chosen medium, you have 2 choices: cut back your content or pick a new way to present it. Maybe that content you want in an app really belongs on a full website.

As we’ve discussed before, dear readers, white space is incredibly important for health content. So make sure that you’re thinking about space from the beginning.

The bottom line: Design starts with content. Think about how your text will work in its space.

Tweet about it: Think about white space as you write your content. https://bit.ly/2Marlwl via @CommunicateHlth #HealthLit

With so much health information available online these days, you might be wondering: Does anyone still need health brochures?

We say… maybe. How you deliver content depends on your audience. If you’re rocking a Twitter feed but your audience is watching Golden Girls episodes on Betamax, you’ve got a problem.

Don’t get us wrong, dear readers — we ❤ digital content. It lets you reach more people in fun and innovative ways. In particular, mobile is becoming a great equalizer across income levels.

That said, you need to meet your audiences where they’re at. Like it or not, they may be at the doctor’s office staring at a rack of brochures — or they may be at home, without access to the computer they use at their local library.

And sometimes, people want both. For example, when we’re doing usability testing, we often hear testers say things like, “This webpage is great. I would print it out and show it to my mom.”

So keep on with digital and mobile. Find new and creative ways to get your messages out there. But always research your audience, including how they want to access and share your content.

The bottom line: Go bold with digital and mobile — but do your homework to be sure you know how and where your audiences get their health information.

Tweet about it: Is the health brochure dead in the digital age? Not yet. bit.ly/2MRCLFj via @CommunicateHlth #HealthLit

Update (May 2018): Since we wrote this post more than 4 years ago, HealthCare.gov has updated its definition of “premium” from “the amount that must be paid for your health insurance or plan” to the way more conversational “amount you pay for your health insurance every month” (pause for applause).

Today, we tackle the ever-present health insurance “premium” — or, as it’s sometimes defined: “The amount that must be paid for your health insurance or plan.”

Hang on. Wouldn’t the “amount that must be paid” be … a payment? Why not just say “monthly payment” instead? To most folks, that’s what “premium” usually means in the context of health care.

One of the health literacy principles we live (and write) by is to always use the simplest words available to communicate information. If a complicated word is essential, by all means, use it — being sure, of course, to define or explain it. But if a term isn’t essential, just don’t use it.

Let’s put “premium” to the test. Is there any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

• Your premium is due on the first of the month.
• Your monthly payment is due on the first of the month.

Right. Our vote here: “premium” isn’t essential.

If you really think your readers needs to learn the term “premium,” we recommend saying “monthly payment (also called a premium).”

The bottom line: Terms like “deductible” and “co-payment” are essential when talking about health insurance — but “premium” isn’t. Try “monthly payment” instead.

Tweet about it: If you mean payment, say payment (not premium): http://bit.ly/1aaPyOI #HealthLit via @CommunicateHlth

This week we’re addressing the difference between a couple terms that are easy to confuse when writing health information. “Symptom” and “sign” are often used interchangeably when talking about the health effects of conditions or diseases — but guess what? They aren’t actually the same at all.

Ever heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”? Well, our favorite way to remember the difference between these similar words is that it’s in (you guessed it!) the eye of the beholder. In other words, whether something is a sign or a symptom depends on who’s able to notice it.

Technically speaking, a symptom is something that only the person experiencing it can observe. A sign is something that other people can observe, too. So instead of thinking about the health effect itself, think about the person who notices it. Symptoms are what a patient feels (like a headache) and signs are what a doctor can see or measure (like high blood pressure).

Now that you know the difference, dear readers, here’s a curve ball. For some audiences, “symptom” is an unfamiliar word. And since both signs and symptoms fall into the category of “things that happen when you’re sick,” it may be appropriate to use “sign” regardless of who notices it.

The bottom line: A symptom is something only you know is there. A sign is something other people can notice.

Tweet about it: Ever wonder about the difference between signs and symptoms? http://bit.ly/JKUcGN #HealthLit via @CommunicateHlth

In Episode 1 of our space series, we discussed the importance of using space to improve readability by “chunking” text. Now, in Episode 2, we’re discussing the wonders of including white space in the visual design of your content.

Let’s start with a non-writing example. Think of your closet before and after you clean it. Before, it’s a jumbled, anxiety-provoking mess. After, you can easily find what you need, without getting distracted by things like jeans you haven’t worn since high school.

Content works the same way. If it’s crowded and cluttered, your readers may be turned off. If it’s clean and orderly, your readers are more likely to see it as clear and understandable.

Of course, white space doesn’t always need to be white. The phrase “white space” refers to the background and in-between areas — the space without text or images. To increase white space, add extra space (or padding) around images, call-out boxes, and sections of text.

Adding white space can go a long way toward making your health communication materials more appealing. But don’t just take our word for it, dear readers! Ask yourself: Which of these examples* would you be more likely to pick up and read?

*Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

The bottom line: Make your content more appealing and easier to read by adding white space.

Tweet about it: Why add white space to your next #HealthLit material? It’ll be more attractive and easier to read. http://bit.ly/2GVq2hP via @CommunicateHlth

It’s that merry time of year when celebrations often involve eating. A lot. And how about that gravy — was it sodium-rich enough for you? Or did you practice your healthy principles and have a low-salt holiday meal?

Sodium is the actual mineral that causes high blood pressure if we eat too much of it. Salt is the most common source of sodium and the word most people use when talking about eating healthy. As veteran health literacy advocate Dr. Rima Rudd of the Harvard School of Public Health is famous for saying, “You don’t sit at the family table and say, ‘Pass the sodium, please.’ ”

When writing for health behavior change, it’s important to write clearly and use familiar words — while also educating readers about key terms they need to know. Whether it’s reading a Nutrition Facts label or talking to a nurse about blood pressure, sodium is a word people are likely to come across.

So how do you sprinkle some salt into your sodium? Follow one of our favorite (and simplest!) principles of writing for health literacy: Use the medical/scientific/technical term and then provide the plain language equivalent. Here’s an example:

9 out of 10 Americans eat more sodium (salt) than they need. Too much sodium increases your risk for health problems like high blood pressure.

The bottom line: Don’t shy away from the word “sodium.” Just be sure people know you’re talking about salt.

Imagine you have come up with an awesome new health literacy initiative. You’ve put in the time planning, developing, and testing it. You’re about to educate hundreds — scratch that — thousands. You can see it catching on: health literacy is taking the world by storm.

Now, how do you make that vision a reality? The truth is that most big ideas don’t make it because more attention is given to creating the ideas than spreading them.

Fear not, health literacy warrior! Look to the Diffusion of Innovations Theory. The theory describes many things, but where we see its value is in explaining how new innovations catch on. Understanding this can help you better promote and market your program.

Use the concepts below when you explain the benefits of your program to the masses. (Don’t be intimidated by the fancy buzzwords!)

• Relative Advantage: How much better your innovation is than the one it’s replacing
• Compatibility: How your innovation falls in line with potential users’ experiences and values
• Complexity (or Simplicity, as we like to say): How easy the innovation is to understand and use
• Trialability: How easy it is to try out the innovation before committing to it
• Observability: How easy it is for users (and the people they know) to see results from using the innovation

By using these concepts when you promote your program, you’ll greatly increase the chance that people will give it a try.

The bottom line: When promoting a new idea (like a health literacy program), use the Diffusion of Innovations Theory to increase the chance of it catching on.

As advocates for health literacy and plain language, we need to be ready to respond to a skeptic at a moment’s notice. Are you ready, Team Plain Language? Team Jargon can be intimidating, but with the right tools, we can win!

Every effective advocate has go-to arguments on hand, so we’re sharing a few of our favorites to help you build your arsenal.

1. Plain language is the law. Since President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010, many federal agencies began writing more clearly. Similar regulations also apply to credit cards and health insurance.
2. Simple sells. Many private companies are moving toward using plain language because it increases customer satisfaction. Just think about Apple. Customers (aka most people) are busy — they want to understand things quickly and easily.
3. Clear communication is more effective. It saves times, cuts down on errors, and helps reduce costs. There are plenty of studies showing the benefits.

Why are you on Team Plain Language? Share your favorite reasons in the comments.

And for a closer look at which federal agencies are excelling at writing in plain language, check out the Federal Report Card from the Center for Plain Language.

The bottom line: Make sure you’re prepared to defend plain language. It’s the law, it’s good for business, and it’s more effective.

Tweet about it: I’m on Team Plain Language! Here’s why: bit.ly/1jTT69m via @CommunicateHlth #HealthLit

If you’re a plain language writer, you may shudder at the word “contaminated.” It’s a word that many audiences struggle to understand, and yet it shows up a lot in environmental health writing.

Typically, the first line of attack when encountering a tough word is to avoid using it altogether. But, in this case, what word can you use instead?

“Polluted” might work, but that’s not particularly plain language either — and sometimes it won’t technically be a correct substitution. And if a consumer has to deal with an ongoing contamination situation, then it can be a term worth knowing. What’s a clear communicator to do?

To best explain this concept to your readers, focus on the outcome: If something is contaminated, what does that mean for them? Usually, the contaminated thing isn’t safe — to eat, drink, use, touch, and so forth. So, contaminated = unsafe.

If you have to write about something that’s contaminated, check out these examples that may make your life easier:

• The germs contaminated the food (made it unsafe to eat).
• Community members were concerned about contaminated (unsafe) water.
• Put the contaminated (unsafe) items in a trash bag right away.

Now, go forth and write about things that are contaminated — with ease and simplicity!

The bottom line: “Contaminated” can be a difficult word, but people may need to know what it means. If you have to use it, define it in parentheses. We like “unsafe.”