STEP 1 | Explain
Use plain language to explain or demonstrate
KISS – Keep it Simple for Safety
Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2009. Health Literacy Australia. 4102.0 – Australian Social Trends. ABS. Accessed Dec 2017
As healthcare workers, medical terminology comes to us naturally, and it’s easy to forget that these terms are ‘difficult’ for many people. Minimise your use of medical jargon. Instead of saying benign, saying ‘not harmful’ will make better sense. Avoid acronyms, and words with multiple meanings, such as ‘dressing’ or ‘negative’. If you tell someone their x-ray was negative for example, they may think that’s a bad thing.
However, people sometimes say that they just wished all providers used the same words….so if you use a complex word that you know other providers will use, explain what it means. For example, explain hypertension so the next time they hear it, they know it means ‘high blood pressure’.
The best approach is to use simple terms and to demonstrate Keep it Simple for Safety (KISS).
Try thinking of more effective ways to communicate the ideas in the boxes below
before rolling your mouse over each for some suggestions
Instead of:
ConditionTry saying:
A medical problem, a disease, an illness
Instead of:
ChronicTry saying:
Constant, never ending, does not go away, long term, lasting a long time
Instead of:
DiagnosisTry saying:
Finding out the cause of an illness, condition, disease, medical answer
Instead of:
IntermittentTry saying:
Off and on
Instead of:
InterventionTry saying:
Care
Instead of:
FractureTry saying:
Broken bone
Instead of:
OralTry saying:
By mouth
Instead of:
AmbulateTry saying:
Walk
Instead of:
InflammationTry saying:
Sore, swelling
Instead of:
Adverse reactionTry saying:
Bad reaction
Instead of:
NegativeTry saying:
Can mean a “good” or “bad” result, depending on the context
Instead of:
DietTry saying:
What you eat
Instead of:
BenignTry saying:
Not harmful
Instead of:
HypertensionTry saying:
High blood pressure
Instead of:
IncisionTry saying:
Cut
Instead of:
MonitorTry saying:
Keep track of, keep an eye on
Instead of:
Normal RangeTry saying:
Where it should be, provide the range
Instead of:
CardiacTry saying:
Heart-related
Instead of:
ReferralTry saying:
Ask to see another doctor/health professional
Instead of:
OT - Occupational TherapistTry saying:
Someone who helps people to learn or relearn everyday activities and tasks.
Using Plain Language
Watch these two videos to answer the next question.
In which video below does the Occupational Therapist use plain language instead of technical terms?
In Video B the occupational therapist uses plain language instead of technical terms.
In Video A she use terms such as ‘subluxation’ and ‘glenohumeral joint’ which clearly confuses her patient.
Tip!
Remember when we provide information it’s important to slow down.
When we are telling someone something we know really well or we think is important, we tend to speed up.
The recommended speed for friendly, conversational language is 110 to 150 words per minute.
An example is provided below to illustrate an ‘about right’ speed to talk to people.