Writing Patient Education Materials for Older Adults and Low Digital Literacy Patients

Introduction

Accessibility in patient education materials is essential for safe and effective care. Older adults and patients with low health or digital literacy are among the most vulnerable groups. When materials are hard to understand, the risks are serious: missed instructions, medication errors, and lower adherence to treatment.

The good news is that accessibility can be built into the way we write. This article shares practical strategies to make health content clear, usable, and trustworthy for patients who need it most.

Understanding the Challenge

Older adults often face age-related changes that affect how they process information. Declining vision or hearing, memory challenges, and juggling multiple conditions with complex medication schedules can make dense instructions overwhelming. A long block of text or medical jargon is not just frustrating; it can prevent them from following care plans correctly.

Patients with low literacy or digital skills encounter a different but related set of barriers. Medical words, technical instructions, and complicated patient portals can feel intimidating. Many avoid asking clarifying questions out of embarrassment, which means gaps in understanding go unaddressed.

For both groups, the result is the same: patient education materials that should empower patients instead create barriers.

Writing Strategies for Older Adults

Patient education professionals can support older adults by reducing complexity and lightening the cognitive load. Key approaches include:

- Keep sentences short, with one idea at a time.
- Avoid acronyms and formal phrasing. Say “high blood pressure” instead of “HTN” or “hypertension.”
- Give step-by-step instructions for care routines and medication schedules, in the order they should be done.
- Repeat key points. Gentle reminders reinforce the most important takeaways.

Example (Medication instruction):

Original: “Patients prescribed this antihypertensive should titrate dosage upward over several weeks while monitoring blood pressure response.”

Rewritten for older adults: “Start with one pill each morning, as prescribed. Your doctor will increase the dose slowly over several weeks, based on your blood pressure readings. Check your blood pressure at home as directed and write the numbers down to bring to your next visit.”

Writing Strategies for Low Literacy Patients

For patients with limited literacy, plain language is critical. Aim for materials written at a 6th to 8th grade reading level, where everyday words and short sentences carry the message.- Replace jargon with familiar words.- Define medical terms simply the first time they appear.- Use comparisons that are easy to visualize.

Example (Explaining blood pressure):

Original: “Hypertension occurs when arterial pressure remains consistently above normal ranges, increasing cardiovascular risk.”

Rewritten for low literacy patients: “Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing on your artery walls. When it stays too high for too long, it can hurt your heart and blood vessels.”

Overlapping Best Practices for Both Groups

Some writing strategies help both older adults and patients with low literacy:

- Clarity over cleverness. Use concrete words and avoid figurative language or idioms.
- Consistency. Choose one term for a concept and stick to it. If you use “high blood pressure,” do not switch to “hypertension” later.
- Chunking. Group related ideas in short sections with clear headings. Add white space so the eye can rest.
- Action focus. Explain what to do and when to do it. Pair each action with a simple reason, such as “Take this with food to prevent an upset stomach.”

Testing Accessibility Before Publishing

Before publishing, take steps to ensure your content is clear and usable:

1. Run a readability check with Flesch-Kincaid or SMOG to confirm a 6th to 8th grade level.
2. Read it aloud. If you stumble, the sentence is too long or complex.
3. Use teach-back. Ask someone outside the clinical team to explain the content back to you.
4. Pilot with real patients or caregivers. Feedback reveals what is unclear or too dense.
5. Revise and recheck. Shortening sentences and removing jargon usually make the biggest difference.

Why Accessibility Builds Trust and Improves Care

Accessible content shows respect. Patients feel included when instructions are easy to follow and consistent across formats. That confidence translates into better care.

Clear patient education materials reduce common errors, such as missed doses or incorrect timing. Adherence improves when patients know exactly what to do and why it matters. Health systems often see fewer call backs and complaints when questions are answered upfront. Aligning discharge instructions with simple, patient-ready education can also contribute to lower readmission rates.

Accessibility is also an equity issue. Writing that works for older adults and low literacy patients helps close gaps for people who are often underserved.

Conclusion

Accessibility is not optional. It is core to safe, effective patient care. Writing for older adults and for patients with low literacy raises the quality of your materials for everyone. Keep sentences short, define terms, focus on actions, and test with real readers before you publish.

If you need patient education materials rewritten for accessibility and clarity, we can help make your content inclusive, accurate, and patient friendly.