The benefits of Plain English in healthcare settings
Written by Samoda Silva
Illustrations by Justin Olivares
Health information can be incredibly complex, and health settings can be incredibly daunting.
From the endless paperwork to digest and sign off, the medical terms that might as well be in a foreign language, and the stress and emotion that come when confronted with one’s own health and wellbeing, places like hospitals, clinics and specialist centres can quickly turn into environments that individuals come to dread.
A single encounter with the system can demand literacy and understanding of a myriad of complex topics, including self-management of medication, diagnoses and treatment risks. This can result in a high barrier to entry to even the most basic of healthcare services.
Despite this, Plain English presents itself as a clear solution that when implemented consistently, can have wide-reaching benefits for both patients and healthcare providers.
This article explores the benefits of Plain English in healthcare settings, and the crucial role that effective communication can play in the health sector.
Factors that influence health, or ‘health determinants’ are not just limited to individual medical circumstances.
The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare found that people with low health literacy are at higher risk of poorer health behaviours and worse health outcomes. The term ‘health literacy’ refers to how people access, understand and use health information to benefit their health.
Vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, including older persons, people with disabilities and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, are at higher risk of having a low individual health literacy.
In Australia, almost 60% of adults have a low level of health literacy.
Low general literacy is also associated with vulnerability and inequity in the health sector.
Health literacy can be addressed in the healthcare sector by ensuring effective communication in patient experiences. Plain English can be applied in written materials, such as brochures, consent forms, service agreements, handbooks, and medication instructions, and in verbal correspondence with patients, to ensure that information is easy to understand, and to act upon.
Healthcare delivery is a team effort. It is rare for a patient to interact with only one person during their healthcare journey. Nurses, doctors, pharmacists, receptionists, administrative staff, and executives all have a role to play in the delivery of healthcare, meaning that effective communication strategies should be holistic, and demonstrated by personnel across all levels within an organisation.
Healthcare providers can make steps towards strengthening communication within their sites by developing their own policies that prioritise Plain English as a standard for all patient communications. Policies should outline specific guidelines for staff, including:
- Avoiding unnecessary medical jargon (or explaining terms clearly if unavoidable)
- Using short and direct sentences
- Structuring documents with a clear information hierarchy (headings, subheadings and body text
- Including clear formatting
- Including relevant images to help explain messages.
Training programs can also reinforce these practices, ensuring that Plain English becomes an integral part of healthcare delivery.
Health information is already difficult for non-health professionals to grasp — and even more so if a patient and medical practitioner do not share the same language, and communication is being facilitated by a translator or interpreter.
While professional translators and interpreters working in healthcare settings are specifically trained to navigate medical jargon and avoid miscommunication, their jobs can be made easier by ensuring that the source text (in the case of a written material), or speech, is as plain, simple and concise as possible.
Text that is overly complex and ambiguous can lead to confusion, increasing the risk of miscommunication and mistakes in translation.
Organisations can simplify text by:
- Excluding idioms and other figures of speech
- Avoiding long or technical words
- Breaking down information into short, clear sentences
- Using everyday language.
By using Plain English, healthcare providers can ensure that essential health information is accurately conveyed, regardless of the language being used. Easy Read formats also serve as an accessible resource for those with intellectual disability, cognitive decline and low literacy.
Healthcare settings can make individuals on the receiving end feel vulnerable — especially when considering the clinician-patient dynamic that sees patients place their trust in specialists to guide them through very personal health issues.
Trust is considered one of the primary factors influencing patients’ decision to choose and use various sources to access health-related information, finds a 2021 study. However, trust can be fragile, difficult to establish and maintain, especially if patients have had negative experiences in the past.
Plain English can break down the information barrier between clinician and patient, allowing patients to feel informed, empowered and confident in their care. Effective communication also shows respect and care, making patients feel heard and valued in their healthcare encounter. Simple language choice can reassure patients that their concerns are being taken seriously, contributing to a more positive healthcare experience, and trust in the overall health system.
For an environment that relies on clear communication and strong rapport with patients, it is essential to prioritise language that is accessible, concise and free from unnecessary complexity.
The link between effective health communication and health outcomes has been well-established in research, with some extreme cases of poor patient-practitioner communication resulting in adverse patient outcomes.
Health communication is a thriving area of study within academia as well, which highlights the crucial role that effective communication practices play within the industry.
According to a Harvard Public Health Review article, clear communication, including the application of written and spoken Plain English, can allow patients to be more educated about their health to then make informed, appropriate healthcare decisions, in turn leading to better health outcomes.
Practical applications of Plain English to improve patient health outcomes include:
- Medication instructions written in Plain English with clear dosage requirements
- Clinic signage that uses Plain English and relevant imagery to guide patients quickly and effectively
- Medical consent forms with unambiguous information about the procedure, risks and expected outcomes
- Discharge instructions that provide easy-to-understand guidance on how patients and carers should support patient recovery.
By embedding Plain English principles at all levels of healthcare, the sector can improve patient safety, enhance trust in the system, and promote better health outcomes for all who access these vital services.
