HealthLiteracy

Principles Checklist

PLANNING

Objective��+LÄUL�[OL�JVTT\UPJH[PPVU�VIQLJ[P]LZ�Target audience��2UV^�H\KPLUJL�ULLKZ��PU[LYLZ[Z��HUK�ILOH]PVYZ���0KLU[PM`�^H`Z�[V�LUNHNL�[OL�[HYNL[�H\KPLUJL���0U]VS]L�[OL�[HYNL[�H\KPLUJL�PU�KL]LSVWTLU[�HUK�[LZ[PUN�

CONTENT

Purpose��-VJ\Z�HUK�SPTP[�[OL�VIQLJ[P]LZ���:[H[L�`V\Y�VIQLJ[P]LZ�PU�[OL�[P[SL��JV]LY�PSS\Z[YH[PVU��HUK���PU[YVK\J[PVU�Evidence��,UZ\YL�JVU[LU[�PZ�HJJ\YH[L�HUK�L]PKLUJL�IHZLK���:[H[L�^OH[�PZ�RUV^U�HUK�^OLU�YLSL]HU[��^OH[�PZ�UV[�RUV^U�Scope��3PTP[�[V�LZZLU[PHS�PUMVYTH[PVU��0UJS\KL�[OL�¸ULLK�[V�RUV^¹��I\[�UV[������[OL�¸UPJL�[V�RUV^¹���0UJS\KL�VUS`�PUMVYTH[PVU�[OH[�PZ�YLSL]HU[�HUK�TLHUPUNM\S�[V�[OL���PU[LUKLK�H\KPLUJL���-VJ\Z�VU�ILOH]PVYZ��ZRPSSZ�HUK�PUZ[Y\J[PVUZ���.V�IL`VUK�[OL�MHJ[Z�[V�PUJS\KL�HJ[PVU�VYPLU[LK�TH[LYPHS���:[YLZZ��YLWLH[�HUK�Z\TTHYPaL�[OL�THPU�WVPU[Z�Language and culture��,UZ\YL�`V\�OH]L�OPNO�X\HSP[`�[YHUZSH[PVU�HUK�PU[LYWYL[H[PVU�VM�JVU[LU[�Demographics��,UZ\YHL�JVU[LU[�YLÅLJ[Z�HNL��LK\JH[PVU��PUJVTL��NLUKLY����VJJ\WH[PVU��HUK�YLZPKLUJL�VM�PU[LUKLK�H\KPLUJL�Clarity��:[H[L�[OL�PUMVYTH[PVU�HZ�JSLHYS`�HUK�ZPTWS`�HZ�WVZZPISL��Tone and appeal��0UJS\KL�WVZP[P]L��[Y\[OM\S�HUK�OLSWM\S�JVU[LU[���,KP[�JVU[LU[�MVY�IPHZ�HUK�WYLQ\KPJL�References��5V[L�RL`�ZV\YJLZ���7YV]PKL�ZV\YJLZ�MVY�TVYL�PUMVYTH[PVU�Date/authorship��0UJS\KL�H\[OVY�Z��HUK�KH[L�VM�W\ISPJH[PVU�VY�YL]PZPVU�

LITERACY DEMANDS

Reading level��,UZ\YL�HZ�THU`�WLVWSL�HZ�WVZZPISL�JHU�YLHK�HUK�\UKLYZ[HUK���[OL�TH[LYPHSZ����*VUZPKLY�\ZPUN�H�YLHKHIPSP[`�JHSJ\SH[VY��I\[�IL�Z\YL�`V\�\UKLYZ[HUK���P[Z�SPTP[H[PVUZ��Choice of words��<ZL�JVTTVU��L]LY`�KH �̀�ZWLJPÄJ�^VYKZ�[OH[�HYL�[^V�Z`SSHISLZ�VY�SLZZ���(]VPK�\ZPUN�QHYNVU��HIZ[YHJ[�^VYKZ��[LJOUPJHS�[LYTZ��Z[H[PZ[PJZ����HIIYL]PH[PVUZ�HUK�HJYVU`TZ���0UJS\KL�[OL�WYVU\UJPH[PVU�VM�^VYKZ�[OH[�TH`�UV[�IL�MHTPSPHY���,_WSHPU�^VYKZ��L_WYLZZPVUZ��HUK�WOYHZLZ�[OYV\NO�ZPTWSL�KLÄUP[PVUZ�����*VUZPKLY�\ZPUN�^VYK�WPJ[\YL�HZZVJPH[PVU�VY�L_HTWSLZ���<ZL�WVZP[P]L�Z[H[LTLU[Z��3PTP[�ZLU[LUJLZ�[OH[�ILNPU�^P[O���¸KVU»[¹�VY�¸UL]LY¹�

Ensure that materialsare plain, simple and

understood.

The best way to do this is to follow as many of these

principles as possible.

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Sentences/paragraphs��>YP[L�PU�H�JVU]LYZH[PVUHS�Z[`SL��\ZPUN�HJ[P]L�]VPJL����<ZL�ZOVY[��ZPTWSL�HUK�KPYLJ[�ZLU[LUJLZ�������^VYKZ����<ZL�ZOVY[�WHYHNYHWOZ�HUK�H]VPK�SHYNL�ISVJRZ�VM�[L_[�Use of numbers��+V�[OL�TH[O�MVY�[OL�YLHKLY��KV�UV[�YLX\PYL�HKKP[PVU��Z\I[YHJ[PVU�����T\S[PWSPJH[PVU�VY�KP]PZPVU���*VUZPKLY�\ZPUN�]PZ\HS�WYLZLU[H[PVUZ�VM�U\TILYZ���<ZL�^OVSL�U\TILYZ�^OLU�WVZZPISL����PU�������PUZ[LHK�VM����������,_WYLZZ�YPZR�PUMVYTH[PVU�PU�MYLX\LUJPLZ����V\[�VM����PUZ[LHK�VM������

ORGANIZATION

Context��7YLZLU[�JVU[L_[�ILMVYL�UL^�PUMVYTH[PVU�Sequence��7YLZLU[�PUMVYTH[PVU�[OH[�PZ�SVNPJHS�HUK�LHZ`�[V�MVSSV �̂���7VZP[PVU�PTWVY[HU[�PUMVYTH[PVU�H[�[OL�ILNPUUPUN�HUK�LUK�MVY�LTWOHZPZ�Groupings��+P]PKL�PUMVYTH[PVU�PU[V�ZTHSS��SVNPJHS�ZLJ[PVUZ�Headings��<ZL�ZOVY[��ZPTWSL�HUK�L_WSHUH[VY`�OLHKPUNZ�[V�VYNHUPaL�

LAYOUT AND TYPOGRAPHY

Font��<ZL�H�JSLHY�[`WLMHJL�SPRL�;PTLZ�5L^�9VTHU�VY�(YPHS���<ZL�\WWLY�HUK�SV^LYJHZL�SL[[LYZ"�H]VPK�\ZPUN�HSS�\WWLYJHZL���3PTP[�[OL�]HYPH[PVUZ�VM�[`WLMHJLZ�\ZLK���<ZL�H�[`WL�ZPaL�[OH[�PZ�LHZ`�[V�YLHK�HUK�HZ�SHYNL�HZ�WVZZPISL����H[�SLHZ[����WVPU["����VY����WVPU[�[L_[�PZ�WYLMLYYLK��Headlines and titles��<ZL�OLHKSPULZ�HUK�[P[SLZ�[V�VYPLU[�HUK�LUNHNL�[OL�YLHKLY�White space��7YV]PKL�IYLHRZ�MVY�[OL�L`L�^P[O�^OP[L�ZWHJL���)HSHUJL�[OL�\ZL�VM�^OP[L�ZWHJL�^P[O�JVU[LU[�HUK�NYHWOPJZ����:LWHYH[L�WHYHNYHWOZ�HUK�[VWPJZ�I`�VUL�VY�[^V�SPULZ�1\Z[PÄJH[PVU��(]VPK�M\SS�Q\Z[PÄJH[PVU�VM�[L_["�MVYTH[�LKNLZ�Å\ZO�SLM[�^P[O�YPNO[���YHNNLK�PUZ[LHK�Highlights/cues and color��<ZL�I\SSL[LK�SPZ[Z��\UKLYSPUPUN��HUK�IVSK�MVY�LTWOHZPZ���0U[YVK\JL�JVSVY�[V�OPNOSPNO[��HKK�JSHYP[ �̀�KPMMLYLU[PH[L�VY�MVJ\Z�[OL�L`L����<ZL�ZOHKPUN��IV_LZ��HUK�HYYV^Z�[V�KPYLJ[�H[[LU[PVU�[V�RL`�JVU[LU[�

GRAPHICS

Engagement��<ZL�NYHWOPJZ�[V�NYHI�H[[LU[PVU���:WV[SPNO[�[OL�VIQLJ[P]LZ�^P[O�[OL�JV]LY�NYHWOPJ����9LPUMVYJL�[OL�VIQLJ[P]LZ�^P[O�NYHWOPJZ���*OVVZL�NYHWOPJZ�[OH[�HYL�MYPLUKS �̀�H[[YHJ[P]L�HUK�YLJVNUPaHISL�Relevancy��<ZL�HJ[PVU�VYPLU[LK�NYHWOPJZ���:OV^�RL`�KLZPYLK�ILOH]PVYZ��YH[OLY�[OHU�ILOH]PVYZ�[V�H]VPK���*OVVZL�NYHWOPJZ�[OH[�YLÅLJ[�[OL�HNL��NLUKLY��L[OUPJ�HUK�J\S[\YHS���IHJRNYV\UK�VM�[OL�H\KPLUJL���+LZPNU�NYHWOPJZ�[OH[�Z\WWVY[�HUK�YLPUMVYJL�PTWVY[HU[�WVPU[Z�Clarity��<ZL�ZPTWSL�KLZPNU��MYLL�MYVT�JS\[[LY�HUK�KPZ[YHJ[PVUZ���(]VPK�KPHNYHTZ��NYHWOZ��JOHY[Z�HUK�KH[H�[HISLZ�[OH[�YLX\PYL���T\S[PWSL�Z[LWZ�MVY�\ZL�

“Everything should be madeas simple as possible,

but not simpler.”Albert Einstein

Authors: Jacobson, Kara L; Parker, Ruth M. 2014. Reference: Doak, CC; Doak LG; Root JH. (1995).Teaching Patients with Low Literacy Skills.2nd Edition. J.B. Lippincott Company. ©2014

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