#15: I need to write a patient education brochure, what should I do?

After writing a number of projects for the medical professional audience, you probably would like to take a break from technical writing, and try something new, such as producing an educational reading material for patients or the public in general.

Different source of content
Unlike writing an event highlights bulletin, where the content of your writing basically comes from lectures and presentations, writing a patient education brochure involves searching for information, literally from all possible resource channels!

Basic materials and information may be provided by your client. Most likely you also have to look up via the internet for the latest facts and data relevant to the topic you are writing. Check out your company’s library, if there is one; you may find some information pertaining to the subject of your brochure.

Different writing style
While medical experts and healthcare personnel understand what a ‘transient ischemic attack’ is, the general public may not. Therefore, you need to write in a more layman manner so that your readers can understand. Instead of loads of medical jargons, use layman terms. If a scientific or medical term is used, then you should always have it explained immediately after the terminology.

For example: …transient ischemic attack (also known as mini-stroke)…

Similar process
Just like how you would work on an event highlights, you need to draft out a storyline for your brochure. For instance, if you are writing a brochure on diabetes, you may want to first come out with a simple outline like this:

· What is diabetes?
· How many types of diabetes are there?
· What causes diabetes?
· Who are at risk?
· What are the complications of diabetes?
· How to manage and treat diabetes?
· What are the preventive measures?

The outline above will serve as the main skeleton for your brochure. It can then be elaborated further with more details, facts, and illustrations, if required. Remember to use bullet points to list information such as risk factors, preventive steps, or benefits.

After your first draft is completed, what follows is similar to how you manage your event highlights projects:

· Have the first draft edited by your editor.
· Submit draft to client for approval.
· Revise the draft based on client’s comments.
· After draft is approved, pass it to the designer for layout.
· Working with the designer to make sure all text and figures are in place.
· Submit the complete brochure to client for approval.

If you want to see more examples of patient education brochures, besides those produced by your colleagues, where can you get them? Pharmacies and clinics! Why not pick them up the next time you are there? ;-)