Research Guides: Health Literacy: Speak Plain Language: Patient Education

Library Resources

Patient Education Handouts in AccessMedicine
Customizable handouts with comprehensive healthcare information available in adults, pediatrics, and medicines advisors in multiple languages. Written at an 8th-grade reading level and updated quarterly.
Patient Education Handouts Tutorial - Access User Center
Patient Education Handouts Video Tutorial
Patient Education in Lexicomp Online for Dentistry
Provides the capability to print complete patient educational packets with information on medications, conditions, and/or procedures. This information is available in up to 19 languages - all content is in English and Spanish. Includes adult- and pediatric-specific medication leaflets available in all languages, as well as most frequently used disease, procedure, healthy living and discharge instructions available in all languages.
Patient Education in UpToDate
Provides patient education topics, including several translated into universal Spanish, that facilitate clinician-patient communication. These materials educate and promote shared decision-making based on medical evidence, clinical recommendations, and patient preference.

Books in the Library Collection

Nursing: Health Education and Improving Patient Self-Management: Intervention Mapping for Healthy Lifestyles, 2e by Barbara Sassen
Publication Date: 2023
Describes the latest advances in health education and patients' self-management, addressing core questions such as: How can you motivate a patient to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and how can you support their self-management?
Patient Education: A Practical Approach, 2e by Barbara Ann Lyons; Richard D. Muma
Call Number: R727.4 .P375 2012
Publication Date: 2012
Offers proven methods for helping patients understand diseases, medication regimens, wellness, and how to recognize potential problems.
Mosby's Handbook of Patient Teaching, 3e by Mary M. Canobbio
Call Number: RT90 .C36 2006
Publication Date: 2006
Covers more than 200 diseases, disorders, and procedures; a special section on home care procedures provides comprehensive guidance on preparing a discharge teaching plan and providing care in the home.

Other Online Resources

Health Literacy: Speak Plain Language
Madigan Library research guide containing information on using plain language, assessment instruments and toolkits, cultural and linguistic competencies, older adults, pediatrics, reports and research, and patient resources.
Consumer Product Information Database
Contains health effects information for products used in the home and in some commercial/institutional settings that contain chemicals.
FamilyDoctor.org
Health information from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Harvard Health
Health and medical information from Harvard Medical School.
Health Information
National Institutes of Health
Health Information in Multiple Languages
From MedlinePlus, browse health information in multiple languages, arranged by language. You can also browse this information by health topic.
Health Online
Library of the patient and family health education materials used at University of Washington Medical Center. Most materials contained on this site have been authored by UW Medicine clinicians and staff.
MedlinePlus
Online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. It is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the world's largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
MyHealthfinder
Microsite coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Nemours KidsHealth
Created by The Nemours Foundation, this site contains information on children's health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years.