Health Literacy and Language
Prompt: Analyse NHS health information materials (such as 111 website). How accessible is health information for different literacy levels? Propose improvements.
Task Overview
In this task, you will explore how easy (or difficult) it is for people with different reading abilities to understand NHS health information. You will focus on materials such as the NHS 111 website, but you may also look at other NHS pages if helpful.
Your job 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, the 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 someone with different reading abilities might experience the site.
2. Think about literacy levels
Remember that not everyone reads confidently. Many adults 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?
- Is medical jargon explained?
- Does the layout help people understand quickly?
- Would someone with low literacy or learning difficulties understand it?
You can include real examples from 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 or include technical terms that aren’t explained.
5. Propose practical improvements
Think about what would help someone who finds reading difficult.
6. End with a short conclusion
Summarise:
- How accessible the information currently is
- Who may struggle the most
- Why your improvements would help make NHS information clearer and safer for everyone