Health Literacy and Communication

Health information is inherently complex and can, therefore, be overwhelming to many patients and research participants. Becker Medical Library offers a variety of services and resources to assist clinicians, investigators and students with making written materials easier to understand and to address the impact of literacy, culture and language in the health care setting.

For more information, please contact Mychal Voorhees at (314) 362-4734 or mychal.voorhees@wustl.edu.

Health Literacy and Plain Language Review Service

Our Health Literacy and Plain Language Review Service can help you tailor and simplify a wide variety of materials, including:

  • Study recruitment materials and consent forms
  • Data collection instruments
  • Website text for patients and study participants
  • Documents for reporting research results to the community
  • Patient-information materials and handouts

View the Health Literacy and Plain Language Review Service

Health Communication Trainings and Consultations

We offer customized presentations on a variety of health literacy topics as well as one-on-one consultations. These services can help you become a more effective health care communicator through:

  • Trainings in empathy, teach-back and other communication skills
  • Guidance on simplifying numbers and data for general audiences

View Health Communication Trainings and Consultations