Important Information Related To Use Of Patient Handouts

By Marissa Velazquez


Patient handouts are one of the most important tools of passing information to clients coming to a healthcare facility. Their use has been observed to increase in recent times due to the numerous advantages that are associated with them. If you are planning on starting to use handouts in your facility, you need to ensure that you acquire some information relating to their design, use and evaluation of their effectiveness. We will look at some of these aspects in this article.

Two types of handouts exist. One of the types is commercially available and contains pre-printed messages. The message may be directed to a non-specific audience or to a particular group. This type has the advantage of being readily available and not requiring much input in terms of labour. The second type is that which is custom made in a facility. The facility designs such materials depending on local requirements. The message is tailored based on the needs of that facility.

The most important person to have in mind when you are creating your materials should be the client. Every step that is taken and every decision that is made should be done with their best interests at heart. Ensure that your objectives for the process are clear from the start. Commonly, these materials are created to educate people about various conditions that they may be suffering from. It helps them understand the importance of the services that are being offered to them.

There are a number of determinants of the kind of designs that will be used for the materials. These determinants affect both the locally produced and the commercially obtained materials. Materials that are to be used once and then disposed of will be designed differently from those that have to be referred to constantly. If there is need for feedback, the design has to take this into account. Other factors that require consideration are the demographic factors such as age and gender.

The language and style chosen for this process should reflect the level of education of the targeted group. A research may be helpful in determining these levels. In the event that this cannot be done, the simplest language and style are chosen. This will ensure that a majority of the clients understand. The content should be accurate and up to date.

The language should be simple enough to be understood by virtually anybody. Medical jargon has to be avoided by all costs. If technical terms have to be used, they should be accompanied by corresponding definitions. Using a second person appears to communicate directly communicates to the reader. Using the active form of speech is also advised.

Long and complex sentences tend to lose meaning. You should keep your sentences short, simple and to the point. Long words (more than three syllables) should be kept to the minimum. When the content has been completed, readability is determined by sampling views from various clients.

Using patient handouts are a very important tool for educating different groups of clients. These tools ease the huge burden that is placed on the healthcare provider allowing them to concentrate on other issues. It is especially useful in implementing preventive medicine strategies.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment