Patient Education
Writing Patient Education That People Actually Read
By Waturi Johnson · July 2, 2024 · 4 min read
Most patient education materials are written at a reading level far above the people who need them. Here is how a nurse approaches plain-language health writing.
The average patient education handout in the United States is written several grade levels above what most adults can comfortably read, especially when they are stressed, in pain, or frightened. As a nurse, I watched this play out at the bedside again and again.
Start with the decision the reader has to make
Good patient education is not a summary of a disease. It is a guide to a decision or an action: When do I call the doctor? How do I take this medication? What is normal after surgery, and what is not?
When I write patient instructions, I begin by asking what the reader needs to do, then build the content around that.
Plain language is not dumbing down
Plain language means:
- Short sentences that carry one idea each.
- Common words instead of clinical jargon, with the medical term in parentheses when it matters.
- Headings a reader can scan to find their question.
This is harder to write, not easier. It takes clinical understanding to know which details can be cut without losing safety.
The nurse's advantage
I have explained these exact topics out loud, to real patients, and watched their faces to see whether they understood. That feedback loop is built into how I write now.
