How to Produce Patient Information Leaflets

Patient information leaflets aren't just an afterthought; they are a critical information link between patients and their healthcare providers. A poorly constructed patient leaflet is of little use to the average patient; therefore, the process of producing an informative and easy-to-navigate leaflet is crucial to patient understanding and care.

Instructions

Patient Considerations

• 1

  Rank your goals and decide what you are trying to accomplish in the patient information leaflet. Are you trying to reiterate prior information or are you giving directions to the patient? There are a variety of reasons why doctors produce patient information leaflets. These include reminding patients to be on time, what to expect from a procedure, aftercare instructions, or to remind patients what they have been previously told.

• 2

  Decide who your audience is. If it is the patient, the tone will be much different than if you are writing to a child's parent.

• 3

  Choose the primary purpose in creating the patient information leaflet. If the purpose is to provide general information then do not go into too much detail and keep it simple. If the purpose is to assist patients in forming their own questions when they meet with their physician, then provide points to ponder.

• 4

  Develop a focus group with patients who have the disease or disorder for which the leaflet is being produced. They will be an excellent resource in helping you to understand all of the questions they need answered.

• 5

  Inform the patient with easy to understand, neutral language. The patient is already uneasy so it's best to provide a measure of comfort by leaving out worst case scenarios. The tone should be calm, informational and reassuring.

Producing the Leaflet

• 6

  Test the readability of your leaflet. Sentences should be concise and fancy words should be left out. If technical terms must be used, explain them. Leaflets are often a work in progress and there is always room for improvement.

• 7

  Consider the design and layout of the patient information leaflet. After the leaflet has been produced, let several patients give feedback on whether it best suits their needs, and is simple to navigate. It must be visually appealing and laid out in a sequential and easy-to-understand manner. Several trial runs should take place before the final products is ready.

• 8

  Locate a company that has already created the type of information leaflet that you would like to create. This will give you ideas on good structure, design and layout.

• 9

  Find a printing company that offers the highest yield for the lowest cost. In-house leaflets can be less expensive, but outsourcing patient leaflets is often the most efficient method for producing high quality leaflets and similar materials.