Readability vs. plain language vs. health literacy, and why it matters

See how readability, plain language and health literacy can improve your healthcare content

When it comes to healthcare marketing, clear, concise communication is more than a goal — it’s a need. And readability, plain language and health literacy all play an important part. Knowing these terms and using them to your advantage can improve content quality. It can also help you reach more of your audience.
So, what’s the difference? At a high level:

• Readability is content your audience can read.
• Plain language is content your audience can understand.
• Health literacy is your audience’s ability to use your content to make informed decisions about their care.

Review the differences in the graphic:

Let’s explore each term in more detail.

Readability: Content you can read

Readability is all about how easy it is to consume content. Is the content complex? Is it legible? Am I able to read it (and do I want to)?
You can measure the readability of content with readability scores. Using a formula, a readability score tells you the level of education a person might need to read your content. Popular readability formulas include:

• Flesch-Kincaid, which is what we often use at WG Content
• Gunning Fog Index
• SMOG Index
• Coleman-Liau Index

Most readability formulas look at, in some way, how many words you use, the length of your sentences and the number of syllables in each word. Thankfully, there are tools to help calculate readability quickly. At WG Content, we rely on Readable. But many programs, including Microsoft Word, have built-in readability calculators.

This article that you’re reading, for example, has a Flesch-Kincaid readability score of 7.6. That means you need at least a 7^th grade reading level, which in the U.S. is typically ages 12–13, to read it with ease.

Government organizations and other groups use readability scores to make sure text meets legal readability requirements. The score is a way to standardize readability. Here are some typical readability scores to target based on your audience:

• Medicare or Medicaid recipients: Grade 4–6 (requirements vary by state)
• Ages 65+: Grade 6
• General public: Grade 8
• Professionals, including doctors, lawyers, bosses and peers: Grade 8–10

You can improve readability by using plain language — shorter sentences, simpler words and active voice. But remember, just because content has a better readability score or is shorter doesn’t mean it’s better content. After all, writing isn’t one-formula-fits-all.

Plain language: Content you can understand

Plain language is one way to improve the readability of content. With plain language writing, your audience can understand the message right away. The content makes sense the first time people read, see or hear it.
There are a lot of myths about plain language, so let’s clarify.

All of us benefit from content that’s easier to understand. Are you getting older? Do you skim what you read? Do you speak a language other than English at home? Are you busy? Stressed? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you probably appreciate plain language writing.

So, how do you write with plain language? These quick tips can help:

• Avoid buzzwords and jargon.
• Use active voice.
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short.
• Organize content with headers and lists.
• Use pronouns like “you” to make content personal.

View our helpful plain language infographic:

The great part about plain language writing is it not only improves readability but also helps with health literacy.

Health literacy: When you can make informed decisions about healthcare

Health literacy relates to action — how well a person can get, understand and use content to navigate the healthcare system. Are they making decisions based on guesses? Or do they have what they need to make an educated decision?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over a third of the U.S. population has a below basic or basic level of health literacy. At those levels, a person might have trouble with common health tasks. They may struggle to follow dosing instructions on a prescription pill bottle or understand a child’s vaccine schedule. Only 12% (about 1 in 8) of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy skills.
Healthcare marketers should be aware of their audience’s health literacy levels. That way, they can shift how they communicate as needed. Research from the Health Resources & Services Administration shows that health literacy can improve health outcomes. It can make people more likely to get preventive care, lower unnecessary emergency room visits, prevent dosing errors, better manage chronic conditions and more.
There are many ways to improve health literacy, and user-friendly content is a big one. To help with health literacy:

• Focus on plain language and readability.
• Don’t assume that every patient understands you — in fact, it’s better to assume the opposite.
• Test your content with actual users to ensure it makes sense to them.
• Find multiple ways to present information.
• Simplify the user’s experience as much as possible.

Get content focused on readability, plain language and health literacy

To reach your audience in the best way possible, consider hiring a content expert. WG Content is here to help optimize readability using plain language and focusing on health literacy. The result? Better audience reach and engagement. And fully accessible content. Contact us to learn more.

Follow-up questions about readability, plain language and health literacy:

Hannah Barker

Hannah has loved both writing and science for as long…

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