How to Write Patient Information Leaflets

Patient information leaflets can help your patients to feel better informed and give them a sense of control over difficult situations. However, medical professionals need to be sensitive when writing these handouts. An effective leaflet presents simple, honest facts in a reassuring and gentle manner.

1. Make a list or outline of the information you want to present. Remember that your leaflet needs to cover a specific topic. Leaflets that present large volumes of information confuse and alienate patients.


2. Organize the list into logical sections, such as "About the Condition," "Treatments," "When to Call the Doctor," etc. These will be the subheadings for your leaflet.


3. Fill in the subheadings with the information you want to present. Use a friendly tone, and write from the patient's point of view. Keep your statements simple and straightforward. You want to sound reassuring while presenting useful, factual information. The goal is to make the reader feel more in control of his or her situation, because he or she now has the facts about the condition or treatment.


4. Check your work. Make sure your facts are up to date and your tone is friendly.  Remove excessive medical jargon, and replace it with straightforward language.


5. Make sure there are no instructions that you have not explained. For example, if you write "Do not eat for 12 hours prior to the test," you need to follow this by saying something like "The results of this blood test are only valid for fasting patients. Eating before the test could call the results into question." Patients who understand why instructions are important are more likely to follow them.


6. Have a former patient or a patient counselor read your leaflet and make suggestions.  Someone who has firsthand experience of the condition will have insights that will help optimize your leaflet.