Healthcare providers often use technical words like “ambulate” instead of “walk” or “erythematous” instead of “red” to explain symptoms or conditions. These terms may be precise for doctors, but they can confuse patients. Courtney Genovese, RN and manager of Care Management at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital, explains that medical jargon can be a barrier, especially when patients face serious health problems or need to understand procedures. She remembers times when patients misunderstood abbreviations like SNF (skilled nursing facility), hearing or reading them as unrelated words, which caused extra worry.
Medical jargon also causes issues when lab results, diagnoses, or treatment plans are shared quickly or without enough explanation. When communication is unclear, patients can misunderstand their health information. This can lead to bad decisions or not following medical advice. For example, if a patient is told they have an “elevated potassium level” but is not given more details, they might wrongly stop eating bananas and harm their diet and health.
The gap between the medical words used by doctors and what patients understand is important. It affects how patients take part in their care and whether they feel confident managing their health.
Health literacy means how well a person can get, understand, and use health information to make good choices. Recent studies show that nine out of ten patients in the U.S. have limited health literacy. This low level happens across all ages, education levels, and incomes.
It is especially common among older adults. They often have long-term diseases and need clear communication to manage their care. Research shows 70% of older adults in the U.S. have very low health literacy. This is linked to worse health and a higher chance of dying within five years. These patients often have trouble using healthcare systems, understanding medicine directions, or using digital health tools like patient portals.
Low health literacy is also connected to more hospital stays and longer time in the hospital. Studies in Europe show that almost 47% of people there have limited health literacy. This leads to similar problems, like difficulty managing ongoing illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
Plain language means using simple, everyday words without leaving out important details. It helps patients understand medical terms and situations without feeling confused. This does not mean talking down to patients or leaving out information. Instead, it focuses on clear and easy-to-understand language.
Using plain language can help patients understand better. When they understand, they follow medicine instructions more closely, feel better about their care, and have better health results. For example, instead of saying “You will require an echocardiogram to detect cardiac amyloidosis,” a doctor can say, “We will do a heart ultrasound to check for a rare heart problem.” The second way is easier for patients to picture and understand.
Medical writers help by turning technical medical information into materials that patients find easier to understand. They make brochures, pictures, videos, and online content that use plain language. One study about patient materials for cardiac amyloidosis found that patients learned about the same from standard and picture-based materials, but they liked the plain language pictures better. Over two-thirds liked these pictures because they were quicker to read and simpler to understand.
Healthcare administrators and IT managers should think about how technology, especially AI tools, can help fix communication problems and make front-office tasks easier to support patient care.
Simbo AI is one company that uses artificial intelligence to automate front-office phone work and answering services. These AI systems can handle scheduling, common questions, and simple patient needs without adding more work for doctors and nurses. This helps patients get quick answers and reduces wait times. It also helps patients get clear and consistent information.
AI tools can automatically change complicated medical terms into plain language summaries. These systems can make patient education materials that fit different literacy levels and cultures. AI can handle big amounts of data, answer patient questions, and keep communication consistent across many platforms.
AI can do tasks like documentation, improve electronic health records, and manage follow-up care. This gives healthcare providers more time to talk directly with patients. It helps providers explain medical information better while AI handles routine paperwork.
AI programs that respect cultural differences can understand social and language needs. They can tailor communication for communities that often get less attention. Using AI in healthcare can reduce bias by giving fair information to all patients. This builds trust and helps patients follow their care plans.
As telehealth and patient portals become common, AI assistants or chatbots can help patients use these tools. This support is important because many patients have trouble with digital technology.
Better health literacy and clear medical communication help make healthcare more focused on patients. Studies show that patients who understand their conditions and treatments manage their health better and make safer decisions.
Healthcare administrators and IT managers in the U.S. serve a diverse population with different literacy and cultural backgrounds. Using plain language and AI for communication and workflow can reduce confusion, lower hospital readmissions, and improve patient satisfaction. Helping patients understand health information better can lead to better health and lower costs for providers and insurers.
In the United States, where nine out of ten patients struggle with health literacy, efforts to close communication gaps with plain language and new technology are very important. Companies like Simbo AI provide helpful tools that work with clear and kind human care—helping healthcare providers meet patients’ needs and make sure important health information is understood by everyone.
The objective is to develop and evaluate infographics that help patients understand cardiac amyloidosis and the associated diagnostic processes, addressing a gap in existing patient education materials.
The infographics were developed using health literacy best practices and revised based on feedback from multiple stakeholders.
100 patients were recruited and randomized to view either the infographics or standard materials, followed by a knowledge assessment and impressions reporting.
No significant differences were found in knowledge between the two study arms.
Participants rated the infographics as more visually appealing and understandable, with over two-thirds preferring them over standard materials.
The infographics required significantly less time to read compared to the standard educational materials.
They are the first patient education materials specifically designed for cardiac amyloidosis, employing best practices in health literacy.
Plain language enhances understanding and retention of complex medical information, making it accessible to a broader audience.
Challenges include ensuring clarity, engagement, and adherence to health literacy standards, particularly for complex medical conditions.
The strategies and best practices used can inform the development of educational materials for various conditions, enhancing patient understanding and outcomes.
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