Writing in plain language for the Summary of Safety and Clinical Performance: Communicating medical device safety and performance data to patients - Volume 34, Issue

Effective communication with patients is paramount in the medical field, particularly in the medical device sector, where the complexity of information can create barriers to understanding. The Summary of Safety and Clinical Performance (SSCP) has…

Making leaflets clearer for patients - Volume 24, Issue

This article examines the clarity of several health information leaflets issued to the public in Europe. It finds that some of the language is quirky, ambiguous, and confusing. In one leaflet, the size of type is too small for easy reading, even by…

Online plain English and readability resources - Volume 24, Issue

To encourage individuals and businesses to write in simpler, more readable English, private and government-backed enterprises have created a number of freely available online resources. While most relate to general English use, some are devoted to…

Getting what you want from your scientific writing: tips for writing clearly - Volume 21, Issue

Good medical writing is like good writing in any discipline: the writer should explain complex concepts and ideas clearly and accurately and engage the reader. In this article, I provide four suggestions to help clarify writing on complex subjects:…

Landscaping the terminology of accessible language document types - Volume 31, Issue

There are three main types of accessible language documents that medical writers and medical publications professionals may work on. These are regulatory lay summaries, publication-associated plain language summaries (PLS), and standalone plain…

How CDC is promoting a clear communication culture - Volume 24, Issue

Both the federal Plain Writing Act and the mission of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect and promote people's health require CDC to communicate clearly so that people can understand and act on the important health…

Plain Language and Readability - Volume 24, Issue

Advancing health equity through language access – a global imperative - Volume 33, Issue

In this article, the authors outline the universal right to health, healthcare, and language access in healthcare, with a focus on policies and practices in the European Union and the United States. The authors spotlight contrasting views on whether…

Profile: An interview with Blanca Mayor Serrano on the state-of-the-art of health literacy in Spain - Volume 22, Issue

There seems to be a move towards ‘patient-centred’ health care as part of an overall effort to improve the quality of health care and to reduce costs. Individual patients and providers have to work together to ensure effective communication.…

Five “translation” strategies to adapt technical content for lay audiences - Volume 33, Issue

Writing for lay audiences requires language that is understandable by readers without expertise in the subject matter at hand. This means carefully selecting, organising, wording, and supporting content, focusing on conveying relevant points in a…