Effective communication has been shown to be an important tool in healthcare provision. It ensures that patients fully understand their conditions and why they should adhere the treatments prescribed to them. Options that can be used to pass information to patients include, among others, radio and television advertisements, print media, the internet and health talks among others. Patient education handouts are becoming the preferred option for many centers.
One of the most important things to bear in mind as you design a handout is the message that is to be communicated. This has been touted as the most challenging tasks of the entire design process. The content of a handout is determined by many different factors. These include, for example, the type of diseases treated at the facility, the average age of patients and the gender among others.
Choose a format that will make the brochure readable. This will be achieved through proper formatting. Ensure also that only the important information is included. There should be main titles to address the main topic and subtitles to give more explanation on the main title. If you are discussing hypertension, for example, the subtitles may include the symptoms, causes and management. Another popular approach is the question and answer format.
The level of vocabulary that you use in your brochure should be appropriate for the level of education of the audience. If you are not sure, the safest thing to do is to go for the simplest. Use short and concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Medical jargon needs to be avoided as much as possible and if it has to be included, the terms used should have accompanying explanations.
The importance of illustrations cannot be overemphasized. In general, you will have two types of illustrations to choose from. They include the informational and the filler types. Informational illustrations are usually included in the material for educational purposes. An example of this type is a heart showing the heart and its associated vessels. Fillers are mainly added to add color and to break the monotony of text. They would include, for instance, a happy client, images of medical equipment and so on.
If you find yourself in a position where you may not have the requisite knowledge or time to undertake the task then you can consider outsourcing it. The contracted agency then conducts its own research before embarking on the design and production process. A number of advantages may arise from outsourcing. One of them is that you will get time to concentrate on other things. Another benefit is that you will have it done professionally.
Other than being important educational material, a handout may also be used as an advertising tool. This is done through informing the patients about the services that are provided in the facility. It is a professional requirement in many places that at least 80% of the brochure is dedicated to education and 20% used for advertisement. If the brochure is on hypertension, for example, the advertisement may relate to the forms of treatment for hypertension available.
The use of handouts in educating patients is a practice that is likely to continue well into the future. While the use of hard copies appears to be reducing, that of soft copies is increasing. More creative designs such as incorporating the brochures into calendars and bookmarks has also contributed into increased adoption.
One of the most important things to bear in mind as you design a handout is the message that is to be communicated. This has been touted as the most challenging tasks of the entire design process. The content of a handout is determined by many different factors. These include, for example, the type of diseases treated at the facility, the average age of patients and the gender among others.
Choose a format that will make the brochure readable. This will be achieved through proper formatting. Ensure also that only the important information is included. There should be main titles to address the main topic and subtitles to give more explanation on the main title. If you are discussing hypertension, for example, the subtitles may include the symptoms, causes and management. Another popular approach is the question and answer format.
The level of vocabulary that you use in your brochure should be appropriate for the level of education of the audience. If you are not sure, the safest thing to do is to go for the simplest. Use short and concise sentences that are devoid of convoluted explanations. Medical jargon needs to be avoided as much as possible and if it has to be included, the terms used should have accompanying explanations.
The importance of illustrations cannot be overemphasized. In general, you will have two types of illustrations to choose from. They include the informational and the filler types. Informational illustrations are usually included in the material for educational purposes. An example of this type is a heart showing the heart and its associated vessels. Fillers are mainly added to add color and to break the monotony of text. They would include, for instance, a happy client, images of medical equipment and so on.
If you find yourself in a position where you may not have the requisite knowledge or time to undertake the task then you can consider outsourcing it. The contracted agency then conducts its own research before embarking on the design and production process. A number of advantages may arise from outsourcing. One of them is that you will get time to concentrate on other things. Another benefit is that you will have it done professionally.
Other than being important educational material, a handout may also be used as an advertising tool. This is done through informing the patients about the services that are provided in the facility. It is a professional requirement in many places that at least 80% of the brochure is dedicated to education and 20% used for advertisement. If the brochure is on hypertension, for example, the advertisement may relate to the forms of treatment for hypertension available.
The use of handouts in educating patients is a practice that is likely to continue well into the future. While the use of hard copies appears to be reducing, that of soft copies is increasing. More creative designs such as incorporating the brochures into calendars and bookmarks has also contributed into increased adoption.
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patient education handouts are now available on our official website. To learn more about these educational materials, go directly to this page http://www.vivacare.com.
