Toolkit Development for Plain-Language Communication in Team-Based Care

Experts recommend incorporating health literacy into training to enhance providers' self-awareness and ability to implement these techniques, ultimately improving health outcomes. Interprofessional faculty developed training on plain language and health literacy as a social determinant of health. Clinical students participated in an asynchronous orientation, live educational sessions, and patient visits. Pre- and post-surveys assessed students' knowledge and attitudes toward health literacy and plain language. A faculty member collected unclarified jargon terms during each patient visit. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Paired t-tests were performed for jargon use frequency and McNemar's test for knowledge scores. The purpose was to develop and pilot an interprofessional training program to improve students' knowledge and use of plain language communication in a pediatric ambulatory clinic. Fifty-five pharmacy, medicine, nursing, social work, physical therapy, and dentistry students participated. Composite knowledge scores about health literacy increased, p < .001. 93.3% of students understood how this course contributed to their professional development, and 81.6% rated live content as effective. The average number of unclarified jargon terms per visit decreased from 2.8 in week 1 to 2.4 in week 2. This study is a pilot of a real-world application that prioritizes patient-centered plain language and can be modeled in other clinical settings to support early exposure to health literacy concepts and enhance learners' knowledge.