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One of the pillars of healthcare provision is effective communication. There are many ways through which information can be passed to patients. Those that are commonly used include television and radio print media, health talks and the internet among others. Each of them is associated with a number of advantages and disadvantages. Patient education handouts are arguably one of the easiest tools to use for this purpose.
The content of the handout is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of the exercise. Coming up with the message is also the most difficult task of the entire activity. The factors that will determine what goes to the brochure as the message include the type of disease being dealt with, the age and gender of patients. There may be a need to conduct some research beforehand to understand these segments.
Readability is another important factor to consider. Organize the brochure in such a manner that only the important information makes it to the brochure. One of the best ways of doing this is to include titles and subtitles. While the titles address the main topic, the subtitles will give a little bit of explanation. For instance, the main title may refer to hypertensive disease while the subtitles will refer to causes, symptoms and treatment.
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.
Include illustrations in the handout if possible. They will not only help in explaining some concepts better but also serve to break the monotony associated with reading. This is likely to enhance readability of your material. The two main types of illustrations that can be used are the informational and the filler illustrations. The former, as the name suggests, have an educational value while the latter are mainly used for breaking the monotony of reading.
The entire exercise may be outsourced if you feel that you are not up to the task. The agency will conduct research in the facility to find out the kind of clients that you are dealing with and what their needs are. They then proceed to design what they think will meet these needs in the best way possible. This frees you and you can continue with your normal routines uninterrupted. The main downside is that it makes the whole exercise quite expensive.
Brochures are usually used in advertising besides being educational tools. The advertisements are mainly achieved by listing down the services that are likely to be obtained in a given facility. If a certain medical condition is being discussed in the brochure, the treatments available at the facility can be included as advertisements. Ensure that the advertisements do not take up more than 20% of the brochure.
There is a high probability that educational handouts will continue to be used for a long time to come. The conversion of the brochures into soft copies has made it possible to distribute the material quite easily electronically. Another modification that has encouraged their use is the adoption of more creative designs such as calendars and bookmarks.
The content of the handout is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of the exercise. Coming up with the message is also the most difficult task of the entire activity. The factors that will determine what goes to the brochure as the message include the type of disease being dealt with, the age and gender of patients. There may be a need to conduct some research beforehand to understand these segments.
Readability is another important factor to consider. Organize the brochure in such a manner that only the important information makes it to the brochure. One of the best ways of doing this is to include titles and subtitles. While the titles address the main topic, the subtitles will give a little bit of explanation. For instance, the main title may refer to hypertensive disease while the subtitles will refer to causes, symptoms and treatment.
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.
Include illustrations in the handout if possible. They will not only help in explaining some concepts better but also serve to break the monotony associated with reading. This is likely to enhance readability of your material. The two main types of illustrations that can be used are the informational and the filler illustrations. The former, as the name suggests, have an educational value while the latter are mainly used for breaking the monotony of reading.
The entire exercise may be outsourced if you feel that you are not up to the task. The agency will conduct research in the facility to find out the kind of clients that you are dealing with and what their needs are. They then proceed to design what they think will meet these needs in the best way possible. This frees you and you can continue with your normal routines uninterrupted. The main downside is that it makes the whole exercise quite expensive.
Brochures are usually used in advertising besides being educational tools. The advertisements are mainly achieved by listing down the services that are likely to be obtained in a given facility. If a certain medical condition is being discussed in the brochure, the treatments available at the facility can be included as advertisements. Ensure that the advertisements do not take up more than 20% of the brochure.
There is a high probability that educational handouts will continue to be used for a long time to come. The conversion of the brochures into soft copies has made it possible to distribute the material quite easily electronically. Another modification that has encouraged their use is the adoption of more creative designs such as calendars and bookmarks.
About the Author:
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.
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