UAMS Center for Health Literacy Introduces Online Plain Language Service to Simplify Health Information

By Ben Boulden

Research has shown that there is a mismatch between the typical reading level of written patient health information and the average reading skill level of patients. Health professionals often lack the skills or resources to assess and edit materials with a focus on health literacy best practices.

Plain Pages is an affordable service that offers a full assessment of the reading level of documents as well as plain language editing for ease of understanding. Customers can submit health documents through plainpages.org for a quote.

Written health information in all areas of health is sometimes difficult to understand. This includes patient education materials about diseases and conditions, information for preventing health conditions, medication instructions, discharge instructions, information about tests and procedures, admission forms and informed consent materials.

“Plain Pages offers us a new tool for bridging the gap between the level of written health information and a patient’s ability to understand and act on it — improving patient-provider experiences, improving outcomes and reducing costs,” said Kristie Hadden, Ph.D., director of the UAMS Center for Health Literacy.

“While other firms offer plain language services, Plain Pages addresses the need to provide plain language readability and editing services of health documents to customers who have smaller projects at affordable per page pricing,” Hadden said.

Regular pricing is $20 per page for readability assessment only; $50 per page for assessment and editing. During the month of January only, customers who submit a document that is at least five pages for assessment and editing will get two pages free ($100 value).

Plain language services are part of the UAMS Center for Health Literacy’s plain language training program that trains future health professionals on skills needed to make health information easy to understand for patients.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,021 students, 789 medical residents and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.