[Written communication: contribution to the development of educational material in health]

Communication is an indispensable tool in the context of the assistance; the written form is widely used in the educational activities in health. This article describes aspects related to the language, illustrations and layout that health professionals should consider when elaborating educational printed material, in order to make it legible, understandable, efficient and culturally relevant. Considering the great contribution of written material in the context of education in health and the role of these resources to promote health, to prevent illnesses, to develop skills, to favor patient's autonomy, one concludes that it is important to create, to develop and to produce qualified material which can the patient's needs.