Health Information
Prompt: Analyse NHS health information materials (such as those on 111 websites). How accessible is health information for people with varying literacy levels? Propose improvements.
Task overview
In this task, you will explore how easy (or difficult) it is for people with different English reading abilities to understand NHS health information. You will focus on materials such as NHS 111 websites, but you may also look at other NHS pages if helpful.
Your task is to analyse how accessible the information is and then suggest improvements to make it clearer and more user‑friendly for everyone
To get you started:
Short articles
- A simple explanation of what health literacy means and why it matters for patient care by NHS.
- WHO – Health Literacy Fact Sheet
- The Lancet – Why is Health Literacy Failing So Many?
1. Start by exploring the NHS materials
Choose one NHS source to focus on (for example, this NHS 111 website). Look at:
- How the information is written
- How pages are organised
- Whether the text is clear and easy to follow
- Whether there are visual aids, icons, or videos
Your goal is to understand how people with different reading abilities might experience the site.
2. Think about literacy levels
Remember that not everyone reads confidently. Many people struggle with:
- Long sentences
- Medical jargon
- Complicated instructions
- Numbers and statistics
3. Analyse the accessibility of the information
Ask yourself:
- Is the writing simple?
- Are sentences short?
- Are key points easy to find?
- Are medical jargons explained?
- Does the layout help people understand quickly?
You should include examples found on the website (e.g. symptom checkers, headings, layout).
4. Identify strengths and weaknesses
For example:
- Strengths: simple headings, step‑by‑step symptom checkers, consistent layout (common in NHS design).
- Weaknesses: some pages may still be text‑heavy and/or include technical terms that are not explained.
5. Propose practical improvements
- Consult different guidelines on the use of plain language.
- Look for examples (both digitally or non-digitally) of good practices.
- Draw on those guidelines and examples to suggest what would help someone who finds reading difficult.
6. End with a concise conclusion
Summarise:
- How accessible the information currently is
- How your improvements might help make NHS information clearer and safer for everyone