Based on our experience providing translation solutions for over 400 healthcare clients nationwide, these tips offer some ideas on how to ensure materials focus on key messages and what patients need to know.

1. Tips for Creating Readable
Health Materials in any
Language
1
dos
‫ثالثة‬ 4

2. 1. Health materials should focus on key
messages and what patients need to know.
Tips for Creating Readable Health Materials in any Language
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• Write clearly and in an active voice.
• Use familiar vocabulary and simple
terminology.
• Use short sentences.
• Use graphics, videos or pictures that
“show” rather than “tell.”
• Keep materials at a fourth- to sixth-
grade level.
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3. 2. Employ readability tools to
analyze and ensure the proper
literacy levels.
Tips for Creating Readable Health Materials in any Language
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Word processing
applications such as
Microsoft Word can
automatically
determine the
Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level and
readability ranking.
Because readability
formulas used in
English can’t be
applied to foreign
language documents,
professional
translators should
utilize various other
language-specific
assessment tests.
For Spanish,
consider the Huerta
Readability formula
(HRE), an
assessment similar
to the Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level test
designed for
analyzing texts in
Spanish.

4. 3. Health materials should be culturally
relevant.
Tips for Creating Readable Health Materials in any Language
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Use images and examples that reflect the target audience. Pictures
should display people of their own demographic rather than a generic
stock photo of an “ethnic” person or family.
If menu/food recommendations are included, they should
reflect items that are relevant to that audience’s daily diet.
Do not use slang or cultural references that may be unfamiliar
to an immigrant or LEP population.
Initiate a community review to test materials for comprehension
and effectiveness.

5. Tips for Creating Readable Health Materials in any Language
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4. Use professional linguists.
Materials should be translated by professional linguists and
reviewed for grammatical inconsistencies and readability,
important details that are beyond the capabilities of machine
or computer-based translations.

6. Need accurate, quality
translation now?
We can help. As dedicated healthcare
specialists, the VIA team serves over 400
healthcare clients nationwide and has a network
of over 5,000 hand-picked specialized translators
and reviewers available 24x7.
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