Dear readers, we’ve got some news: as we head into cozy season (and a few changes at the We ❤️ Health Literacy headquarters), we’re pressing pause on our weekly posts and taking a winter hiatus.
Over the past 15 years, our weekly posts have reliably arrived in your inboxes through some pivotal moments in health comm history: the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, a global pandemic, and the advent of generative AI. Through it all, we’ve loved connecting with our curious and committed readers. In fact, some of our most popular posts started as your questions!
As we settle into our winter break, we’ll leave you with a few thoughts:
- Health literacy is a state, not a trait. And designing for health literacy isn’t a check box or the final step in the process — it’s a living, evolving practice grounded in supporting people through difficult diagnoses, tough health choices, and complicated information. Keep doing the work of meeting people where they are, removing barriers, and making their toughest moments a little easier.
- Information literacy matters more than ever. In the era of deep fakes and AI-generated… well, everything, health communicators can help by breaking down scientific concepts and making them clear and human. Experiment with creative formats for delivering your message and remember the power of trusted messengers to help your words land.
- Nothing beats real connection. Use all the tools in your digital toolbox — but don’t forget the power of listening to and engaging with real people. Get out of your inbox and into the world. Budget time and resources for the message testing study. Invite more colleagues to the brainstorm. Ask questions with curiosity and openness. A human touch will always make your communication stronger. And those touchpoints can also be a powerful reminder of what makes our work meaningful (and fun).
We’ll be back in your inboxes when the time is right — whether that’s with a fresh batch of posts or something new we haven’t dreamed up yet. Until then, keep hearting health literacy. We know we will. ❤️
The bottom line: Keep meeting people where they are and making health communication human — we’re taking a break, but we’ll see you soon.
Copy/paste to share on social (and tag us!): The blog’s taking a break — but the need for clear health communication doesn’t stop! CommunicateHealth shares some thoughts on #HealthLiteracy, #InformationLiteracy, and the power of human connection before taking a winter hiatus: https://communicatehealth.com/wehearthealthliteracy/a-winter-hibernation-for-we-heart-health-literacy/
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