It is easier to deal with patients that are equipped with information about their conditions than those that are not. For this reason, patients that are frequently updated about their illnesses tend to show better outcomes. The different channels that are available are associated with various advantages and disadvantages. Patient handouts have emerged as one of the most commonly used options. We will look at how this tool can be used and utilized.
The first thing that one needs to do is to clearly identify their target audience. Audience characteristics have a great influence on the content. They include the type of medical conditions and diseases managed in the facility, the age and gender of patients and the aim of the message. To understand these aspects, there is a need to conduct research in the preparation stage. In some cases, the target group may be large and heterogeneous which may force you to break it down into smaller groups.
Once the target audience has been identified, the next step is the creation of content. This is fairly a challenging task for most people. You may start with a rough draft and improve it gradually over time before coming up with the final copy. The level of vocabulary that is used needs to be understood with ease. Keep your sentences simple, short and concise and free of detailed explanations.
Choose the format to use based on the specific circumstances. One of the commonest formats used involves titles and subtitles. Titles usually introduce the reader to the main topic while subtopics expound the main topics further. For example, if a condition such as diarrhea is being discussed, subtitles may include the causes, prevention, treatment and complications. Another popular format that may be chosen is the question and answer format.
Try as much as possible to have illustrations in your handout. Their presence has been shown to increase readability. There are two main types: educative and filler illustrations. The former are useful in making concepts clearer. An example is the labelled image of a heart and associated blood vessels in a brochure discussing hypertension and heart disease. Filler illustrations are mainly used to break the reading monotony.
Some creativity is needed to increase readability of the brochures. Some of the ideas that may be adopted when designing the brochure include including useful features such as a calendar or modifying the entire brochure into a book mark so that it has a dual purpose. This ensures that reference to the handout is made from time to time by the reader.
Advertising is another major benefit of handouts. The advertisements usually run alongside the main literature and relate to the subject matter. What this means is that if the discussion is about hypertensive disease, for instance, the advertisement is related to the same. The general recommendation is that the informational content should be at least 80%.
The handouts that are used in patient education have remained an important tool of communication over the years. The brochures can be customized to meet patient and facility needs which makes them such a great option. Since the design and production process is quite challenging some people choose to outsource the entire exercise.
The first thing that one needs to do is to clearly identify their target audience. Audience characteristics have a great influence on the content. They include the type of medical conditions and diseases managed in the facility, the age and gender of patients and the aim of the message. To understand these aspects, there is a need to conduct research in the preparation stage. In some cases, the target group may be large and heterogeneous which may force you to break it down into smaller groups.
Once the target audience has been identified, the next step is the creation of content. This is fairly a challenging task for most people. You may start with a rough draft and improve it gradually over time before coming up with the final copy. The level of vocabulary that is used needs to be understood with ease. Keep your sentences simple, short and concise and free of detailed explanations.
Choose the format to use based on the specific circumstances. One of the commonest formats used involves titles and subtitles. Titles usually introduce the reader to the main topic while subtopics expound the main topics further. For example, if a condition such as diarrhea is being discussed, subtitles may include the causes, prevention, treatment and complications. Another popular format that may be chosen is the question and answer format.
Try as much as possible to have illustrations in your handout. Their presence has been shown to increase readability. There are two main types: educative and filler illustrations. The former are useful in making concepts clearer. An example is the labelled image of a heart and associated blood vessels in a brochure discussing hypertension and heart disease. Filler illustrations are mainly used to break the reading monotony.
Some creativity is needed to increase readability of the brochures. Some of the ideas that may be adopted when designing the brochure include including useful features such as a calendar or modifying the entire brochure into a book mark so that it has a dual purpose. This ensures that reference to the handout is made from time to time by the reader.
Advertising is another major benefit of handouts. The advertisements usually run alongside the main literature and relate to the subject matter. What this means is that if the discussion is about hypertensive disease, for instance, the advertisement is related to the same. The general recommendation is that the informational content should be at least 80%.
The handouts that are used in patient education have remained an important tool of communication over the years. The brochures can be customized to meet patient and facility needs which makes them such a great option. Since the design and production process is quite challenging some people choose to outsource the entire exercise.
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