Having good health literacy means you’re able to understand and use health care information and services for yourself and others.
Working in primary care, we all know patients with lower levels of health literacy are more likely to have poorer health outcomes. We all have a part to play in making our written and spoken information clear and easy to understand.
Here are 8 simple actions you can take today when it comes to your healthcare information:
✅ Use simple words and get straight to the point
✅ Test your patient communications
✅ Think mobile-first
✅ Be inclusive
✅ Try a mixture of images and text to explain complex issues
✅ Use the NHS Medical Readability Tool
✅ Keep colour contrast and layouts simple
✅ Make sure images have a purpose
Feel free to share or print off this quick tips poster if it’s useful!
Author: Kara Skehan, managing director at Primary Care Comms Clinic
