Effective communication has been shown to be an important tool in healthcare provision. It ensures that patients fully understand their conditions and why they should adhere the treatments prescribed to them. Options that can be used to pass information to patients include, among others, radio and television advertisements, print media, the internet and health talks among others. Patient education handouts are becoming the preferred option for many centers.
One of the most important things to bear in mind as you design a handout is the message that is to be communicated. This has been touted as the most challenging tasks of the entire design process. The content of a handout is determined by many different factors. These include, for example, the type of diseases treated at the facility, the average age of patients and the gender among others.
The format chosen will also determine, to a large extent, the readability of your brochure. A commonly used format is that of titles and subtitles. Titles address the main topic while subtitles deal with smaller issues under this topic. In the case of diabetes, for example, the topics may include causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and so on. Subtitles under treatment may include, drugs, physical exercise, diet modification and so on. Question and answer format is also popular.
The level of vocabulary used should be understood by the target audience. If you are dealing with a heterogeneous group whose level of education is greatly variable, the safest thing to do is to use the simplest vocabulary. Ensure that the sentences are concise and straight to the point. Medical jargon should be avoided as much as possible and if there is a need to include it, it should be accompanied by definitions.
Pictures are better than words in some situations. Have illustrations to help in explaining some of the concepts. Apart from enhancing understanding, illustrations also improve readability by reducing the monotony of written material. Broadly, they are of two types: informational and filler. The informational illustrations have an educational value while the fillers are meant to break monotony of reading. The fillers are not an absolute necessity.
The entire exercise may be outsourced if you feel that you are not up to the task. The agency will conduct research in the facility to find out the kind of clients that you are dealing with and what their needs are. They then proceed to design what they think will meet these needs in the best way possible. This frees you and you can continue with your normal routines uninterrupted. The main downside is that it makes the whole exercise quite expensive.
Other than being important educational material, a handout may also be used as an advertising tool. This is done through informing the patients about the services that are provided in the facility. It is a professional requirement in many places that at least 80% of the brochure is dedicated to education and 20% used for advertisement. If the brochure is on hypertension, for example, the advertisement may relate to the forms of treatment for hypertension available.
The use of handouts in educating patients is a practice that is likely to continue well into the future. While the use of hard copies appears to be reducing, that of soft copies is increasing. More creative designs such as incorporating the brochures into calendars and bookmarks has also contributed into increased adoption.
One of the most important things to bear in mind as you design a handout is the message that is to be communicated. This has been touted as the most challenging tasks of the entire design process. The content of a handout is determined by many different factors. These include, for example, the type of diseases treated at the facility, the average age of patients and the gender among others.
The format chosen will also determine, to a large extent, the readability of your brochure. A commonly used format is that of titles and subtitles. Titles address the main topic while subtitles deal with smaller issues under this topic. In the case of diabetes, for example, the topics may include causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and so on. Subtitles under treatment may include, drugs, physical exercise, diet modification and so on. Question and answer format is also popular.
The level of vocabulary used should be understood by the target audience. If you are dealing with a heterogeneous group whose level of education is greatly variable, the safest thing to do is to use the simplest vocabulary. Ensure that the sentences are concise and straight to the point. Medical jargon should be avoided as much as possible and if there is a need to include it, it should be accompanied by definitions.
Pictures are better than words in some situations. Have illustrations to help in explaining some of the concepts. Apart from enhancing understanding, illustrations also improve readability by reducing the monotony of written material. Broadly, they are of two types: informational and filler. The informational illustrations have an educational value while the fillers are meant to break monotony of reading. The fillers are not an absolute necessity.
The entire exercise may be outsourced if you feel that you are not up to the task. The agency will conduct research in the facility to find out the kind of clients that you are dealing with and what their needs are. They then proceed to design what they think will meet these needs in the best way possible. This frees you and you can continue with your normal routines uninterrupted. The main downside is that it makes the whole exercise quite expensive.
Other than being important educational material, a handout may also be used as an advertising tool. This is done through informing the patients about the services that are provided in the facility. It is a professional requirement in many places that at least 80% of the brochure is dedicated to education and 20% used for advertisement. If the brochure is on hypertension, for example, the advertisement may relate to the forms of treatment for hypertension available.
The use of handouts in educating patients is a practice that is likely to continue well into the future. While the use of hard copies appears to be reducing, that of soft copies is increasing. More creative designs such as incorporating the brochures into calendars and bookmarks has also contributed into increased adoption.
About the Author:
patient education handouts are now available on our official website. To learn more about these educational materials, go directly to this page http://www.vivacare.com.
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