Patient information leaflets have a difficult job. They’re read by people who are worried, in pain, short of time or sitting in a waiting room trying to remember what the consultant just said.
They’re also usually written by people who know the subject far too well to remember what it’s like not to.
The result is often accurate, thorough and almost entirely unread. Here’s how to write one that isn’t.
Start with the questions, not the condition
Most leaflets open with a paragraph explaining what the condition is. That’s what the writer thinks matters most. The patient may have other priorities.
Before you write anything, list the questions patients actually ask. Your clinic staff will know them by heart. Will it hurt? How long will it take? When can I drive? Can I eat beforehand? What happens if I feel worse?
Then build the leaflet around those questions. Use them as headings, word for word. People scan for the thing they’re worried about, and a heading that matches their question is the quickest way to reach it.
Put the essential information first
If a patient reads only the first few lines, what must they know? Perhaps not to eat after midnight. Perhaps to bring a list of their medication. Perhaps who to call if something goes wrong.
Put that at the top, not on page four after the history of the procedure.
Use the words patients use
Clinicians say “analgesia”. Patients say “painkillers”. Clinicians say “mobilise”. Patients say “get up and walk around”.
Use the everyday word wherever it’s accurate. Where a medical term is unavoidable, perhaps because patients will hear it from staff or see it on a letter, use it and explain it once, in plain English.
Plain English isn’t dumbing down. A patient who understands the leaflet is more likely to follow the instructions, turn up prepared and recognise when something isn’t right.
Be honest about risks and recovery
It’s tempting to keep a leaflet reassuring. But a patient who expects to be back at work in two days, and isn’t, will feel let down, or worried that something has gone wrong.
Describe what’s normal: the discomfort, the tiredness, the time it really takes. Then describe what isn’t normal, and exactly what to do about it.
Reassurance works best when it’s specific. “Most people feel back to normal within two weeks” is more reassuring than “recovery is usually straightforward”, because it tells people what to expect.
Keep sentences short and the layout generous
People reading under stress don’t absorb long paragraphs. Keep sentences short. Use bullet points for steps and lists. Leave space on the page.
Check the leaflet works for people reading it in a second language, with a learning disability or with poor eyesight. If your organisation offers easy-read or large-print versions, say so and say how to get them.
Test it on someone who doesn’t know the subject
Before the leaflet goes to print, ask someone outside the department to read it. A receptionist, a volunteer or, better still, a patient representative. Ask them to explain back what they would do.
Wherever they hesitate, the leaflet needs work.
And get it checked properly
Patient information still needs clinical review, and depending on the organisation, approval from governance, medicines information or communications teams. A clear first draft makes that process quicker. It doesn’t replace it.
A quick checklist
- Does the leaflet answer the questions patients actually ask, using those questions as headings?
- Is the most important instruction in the first few lines?
- Is every medical term either replaced or explained?
- Does it say what’s normal, what isn’t and who to contact?
- Has someone outside the department read it and understood it?
I’ve written healthcare information for the NHS, Diabetes UK, Kidney Research UK and pharmaceutical and medical technology companies. See how I help healthcare organisations or get in touch.