Beyond Plain Language: Using Interactive Content to Improve Health Literacy

Only one in 10 adults has the skills to obtain, process and use online health information. Even people with advanced skills can have difficulty when they are dealing with stress or illness.

Since the Affordable Care Act set the stage for improving health literacy in 2010, healthcare organizations across the country have gone to great lengths to make their online content more understandable. However, most Americans are still not able to effectively use this information to make decisions about their care.

Despite writing clearly and using simple display techniques, we’re learning that text alone is not an effective way to communicate health information. Using a variety of interactive techniques can help improve your readers’ understanding of important health-related content.

5 Tips for Using Interactive Content to Improve Health Literacy

Implement interactive touch features to boost user engagement

Touching a screen can be easier than scrolling through a list. Think about how WebMD lets you point to parts of a body. The intuitive UX of their symptom checker makes finding info quicker and simpler.

Integrate visuals to show health information

Compared to words, visual content, including photographs, illustrations and icons, is easier for our brains to process. This makes it easier to remember.

Embed short videos to explain complex medical topics

Offering short videos can explain complex concepts in a more engaging way. In addition to boosting comprehension, video content adds depth and warmth to your content, which can help users connect with your brand in ways not available through text. Even more, users spend 1.4x more time on pages with videos on them.

Offer a click-to-call feature for direct patient communication

Use click-to-call as an alternative to live chat. The same people who have trouble reading your content are not likely to engage in a text-based exchange. Instead, offer a click-to-call feature so users can speak directly with someone if they are stuck.

Provide wider accessibility by adding text-to-speech and translation tools

Digital health platforms have to cater to diverse users. By integrating text-to-speech and translation tools, healthcare sites provide wider accessibility, catering to patients of varying sight, language and reading abilities.