Health Literacy Action:
Toolkit for Patient Educators
Committee Member Resource Suggestions
Plain Language
Medspeak in Plain Language – Medical Library Association
http://www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/medspeak_plain.html
Tools for Assessing Cultural Competency
http://www.aarc.org/resources/cultural_diversity/assessing_competency.cfm
PlainTrain, the Plain Language Online Training Program
English version - www.web.net/~plain/PlainTrain/index.html
French version - www.web.net/~plain/PlainTrain/Francais/index.html
Clear Language and Design (CLAD)
http://www.eastendliteracy.on.ca/clearlanguageanddesign/
DISCERN
http://www.discern.org.uk/
NIH Plain Language Training
http://plainlanguage.nih.gov/CBTs/PlainLanguage/login.asp
The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN)
www.plainlanguage.gov
Readability
Fry
http://www.csudh.edu/fisher/FryGraph.html
Readability index calculator
http://www.standards-schmandards.com/exhibits/rix/
Clean Language and Design- reading effectiveness tool
http://www.eastendliteracy.on.ca/clearlanguageanddesign/
readingeffectivenesstool/start.htm
SMOG – Simple Measure of Gobbledygook
http://www.harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG.htm
SMOG calculator
http://www.wordscount.info/wc/jsp/clear/analyze_smog.jsp
Writing Sample Analyzer
http://www.bluecentauri.com/tools/writer/sample.php
Developing Effective Print Materials
Hamilton Health Sciences (2008) Writing health information for patients and families: A guide to creating patient education materials that are easy to read, understand and use. Hamilton: Hamilton Health Science.
Jewish General Hospital (2008) How to create effective written patient learning materials. Montreal: Jewish General Hospital.
National Cancer Institute. (2003). Clear & Simple: Developing Effective Print Materials for Low-Literate Readers. Retrieved on June 16, 2008, from http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/oc/clear-and-simple
SAM Suitability Assessment of Materials
http://www.aspiruslibrary.org/literacy/SAM.pdf
Health Literacy and Plain Language
van Haaften, Jami. (2010). Health Literary & Plain Language
[PowerPoint Presentation].
Websites and usability
U.S. Dept of Health and human services (2006). Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
View Report usability.gov
European Union Usability.net usabilitynet.org