RULES OF USAGE
Health literacy
At Children ’ s Colorado , we have a health literacy team that helps us translate medical language , patient education and care instructions for patients and family / caregivers who need to understand how to approach care . To make language as clear and approachable as possible , there are some instances where we should break from our usual style to enhance understanding . These cases include after-care handbooks , instructional materials and more . In these cases , it is often appropriate to engage the health literacy team in the review process .
If you are working on a piece of content that requires an eye for health literacy , consider these additional guidelines .
Numbers
Instead of following AP style for numerals , use figures for all numbers .
Example :
• Take this medicine 2 times each day for 4 weeks .
Writing level
Write at a sixth-grade level or lower . Use the simplest terms possible to get your idea across and remove any language that isn ’ t needed .
Examples :
• Say doctor instead of provider . In some cases it may be appropriate to say both doctor and provider for the sake of clarity .
• Say ER instead of emergency department .
• Say medicine instead of drug or medication .
Acronyms
In copy that will be used in a strict health literacy situation , such as postoperative care handbooks , it may be appropriate to use common acronyms before the phrase associated with them on first reference . For example , in a handbook that gives instructions on managing anterior cruciate ligament , or ACL , surgery , we might flip our typical order and write :
“ When you ’ re recovering from ACL ( anterior cruciate ligament ) surgery , it ’ s important to follow your doctor ’ s guidance .”
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