patient-education

# Patient Education Turn medical information into something a patient can actually understand and act on. Clear, accurate, and respectful of the reader. > **Disclaimer:** Patient education materials drafted with this skill should be reviewed by a clinician for accuracy and tailored to the individual patient before distribution. Not a substitute for the clinical encounter. ## When to Use - "Write a patient handout on [condition]" - "Explain [diagnosis / procedure] in plain language" - "Translate this clinical information for a patient" - "Create discharge instructions for [scenario]" - "Write a medication information sheet for [drug]" ## What to Give Me - **Topic**: condition, medication, procedure, lifestyle change - **Audience**: adult, parent of pediatric patient, caregiver of older adult, health-literacy level - **Language**: English, Spanish, or other (specify) - **Format**: handout, after-visit summary, video script, FAQ - **Specific concerns to address** (medication side effects, when to seek care, etc.) ## Plain-Language Principles - **6th–8th grade reading level** by default — use plain word substitutes - **Active voice, short sentences** — "Take one pill in the morning" not "One tablet should be administered each morning" - **Concrete examples** over abstractions - **One main idea per paragraph** - **Define any term you must use** — "high blood pressure (hypertension)" the first time, then pick one and stick with it - **Numbers as words for small counts** — "two times a day" reads easier than "2x daily" - **Cultural humility** — avoid assumptions about diet, family structure, or daily routines ## Standard Handout Structure ```markdown # [Condition / Procedure / Medication] — What You Need to Know ## What is [topic]? [Plain explanation — what it is, in 2–3 sentences] ## Why does it matter? [Why the patient should care, in their terms] ## What to expect [What will happen — symptoms, timeline, sensations during a procedure] ## What you can do [Concrete actions — diet, activity, medication routine, monitoring] - ✅ Do: [action] - ❌ Avoid: [action] ## When to call your care team - [Specific symptom or threshold] - [Specific symptom or threshold] ## When to go to the emergency room - [Red-flag symptom] - [Red-flag symptom] ## Questions to bring to your next visit - [Suggested question] - [Suggested question] ``` ## Medication Information Sheet ```markdown # [Medication name] (generic name) **What it does:** [Plain mechanism — "lowers blood pressure," "kills bacteria"] **How to take it:** [Dose, frequency, with/without food, special instructions] **Common side effects:** [Top 3–5, in plain language] **Side effects that need a call:** [Specific, with examples] **Side effects that need the ER:** [Red flags] **What it interacts with:** [Other meds, foods, supplements, alcohol] **If you miss a dose:** [Specific instructions] **Storage:** [Conditions] ``` ## Tone - Respectful, never condescending - Acknowledges fear or uncertainty without dismissing it - Empowers — emphasizes what the patient can do - Honest about uncertainty when it exists ("This usually gets better in a week, but everyone is different") ## Quality Checks Before Use - Read it aloud — does it sound like how you'd explain it to a friend? - Run a readability check (Flesch-Kincaid grade level) and target the audience - Verify all numbers, drug names, and clinical claims against a current source - Translate, don't transliterate — idioms don't survive word-for-word translation