Proper communication is pivotal to the provision of healthcare. It has been shown through research that patients that have adequate information about their illnesses are more likely to comply with the treatments prescribed than those who do not. There are many options of communication including, electronic media, health talks, print media and patient education handouts among others. Each of these options is associated with various advantages and disadvantages.
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.
The format chosen will also determine, to a large extent, the readability of your brochure. A commonly used format is that of titles and subtitles. Titles address the main topic while subtitles deal with smaller issues under this topic. In the case of diabetes, for example, the topics may include causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and so on. Subtitles under treatment may include, drugs, physical exercise, diet modification and so on. Question and answer format is also popular.
The level of vocabulary used should be understood by the target audience. If you are dealing with a heterogeneous group whose level of education is greatly variable, the safest thing to do is to use the simplest vocabulary. Ensure that the sentences are concise and straight to the point. Medical jargon should be avoided as much as possible and if there is a need to include it, it should be accompanied by definitions.
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 need help in designing and producing a handout, you can outsource the process in part or in its entirety. Agencies that deal with such tasks will typically conduct thorough research on the facility and on the clients before creating the brochure. Outsourcing will free you and allow you to continue with your regular routine. Possibly the only disadvantage of this approach is that it makes the process more 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.
The format chosen will also determine, to a large extent, the readability of your brochure. A commonly used format is that of titles and subtitles. Titles address the main topic while subtitles deal with smaller issues under this topic. In the case of diabetes, for example, the topics may include causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and so on. Subtitles under treatment may include, drugs, physical exercise, diet modification and so on. Question and answer format is also popular.
The level of vocabulary used should be understood by the target audience. If you are dealing with a heterogeneous group whose level of education is greatly variable, the safest thing to do is to use the simplest vocabulary. Ensure that the sentences are concise and straight to the point. Medical jargon should be avoided as much as possible and if there is a need to include it, it should be accompanied by definitions.
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 need help in designing and producing a handout, you can outsource the process in part or in its entirety. Agencies that deal with such tasks will typically conduct thorough research on the facility and on the clients before creating the brochure. Outsourcing will free you and allow you to continue with your regular routine. Possibly the only disadvantage of this approach is that it makes the process more 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.
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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.
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