Most adults, regardless of education level, want health care information that is easy to read. Because health information is scientific, it can be hard to understand all of the brochures about diseases and treatments, medical forms, and even spoken instructions from doctors, nurses, or pharmacists.
One way that providers and organizations can improve health literacy is to create easy-to-read materials. The Principles for Clear Health Communication, developed in partnership by leading health literacy experts Leonard and Cecilia Doak and Pfizer, provide guidelines for creating health information that is accessible to a broad consumer audience.
Several steps can be taken to make patient education materials more accessible. These include:
Pfizer has committed to including these Principles in the development of its patient-directed communications, and is encouraging and training other organizations to use the Principles in the development of their own patient education.
The following Principles for Clear Health Communication help writers and designers make materials that are easy to read and understand.
Download the Pfizer Principles for Clear Health Communication Handbook in PDF format. 
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