Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies (HLOL #216)

10/01/21 • 21 min

Maureen Maurer brings a strong background in health behavior and health education. Her work focuses on engaging patients, families, and community members in health research, health care delivery, and health policy. Maurer, a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research, directs a research support project for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) called the PCOR Translation Center. This center supports PCORI’s commitment to ensuring that research findings are comprehensible and useful to patients, clinicians, and others making healthcare decisions.

In this podcast, Maureen Maurer talks with Helen Osborne about:

Plain language summaries of research studies: What they are, who they are for, how they help.
Examples and lessons learned from writing 300+ plain language summaries. These include using a conversational tone, organizing information in a logical way, balancing the needs of scientists and readers, getting feedback from the intended audience.
A look ahead to how plain language summaries can help move toward more equitable and inclusive approach to science and health information.

More ways to learn:

Maurer M, Siegel JE, Firminger KB, Lowers J, Dutta T, Chang JS. (2021). “Lessons Learned from Developing Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies,” HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice.
PCORI’s Portfolio of Funded Projects. Includes links to plain language studies along with professional abstracts.
For more information, email Maureen Maurer at [email protected]

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Second Edition (updated 2018), by Helen Osborne. The chapter about plain language is especially relevant to this podcast.

Disclaimer: The views in this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient- Centered Outcomes Research Institute, its Board of Governors, or its Methodology Committee. Under contract to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Translation Center is managed by the American Institutes for Research.

Read the transcript of this podcast

The post Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies (HLOL #216) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

In this podcast, Maureen Maurer talks with Helen Osborne about:

Plain language summaries of research studies: What they are, who they are for, how they help.
Examples and lessons learned from writing 300+ plain language summaries. These include using a conversational tone, organizing information in a logical way, balancing the needs of scientists and readers, getting feedback from the intended audience.
A look ahead to how plain language summaries can help move toward more equitable and inclusive approach to science and health information.

More ways to learn:

Maurer M, Siegel JE, Firminger KB, Lowers J, Dutta T, Chang JS. (2021). “Lessons Learned from Developing Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies,” HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice.
PCORI’s Portfolio of Funded Projects. Includes links to plain language studies along with professional abstracts.
For more information, email Maureen Maurer at [email protected]

Read the transcript of this podcast

The post Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies (HLOL #216) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Previous Episode

New Clinicians & Health Literacy: Putting Classroom Learning into Everyday Practice (HLOL #215)

Joi R. Canton MSN, RN, NPD-BC is a nurse and Manager of Community Outreach in Boca Raton, Florida. In addition to many years in clinical practice, Canton brings experience as a clinical educator, clinical instructor, nurse leader, and preceptor/mentor for novice nurses.

In this podcast, Joi Canton talks with Helen Osborne about:

Why it can be a challenge for new professionals to address health literacy in their clinical practice.
How seasoned clinicians can build on “moments of learning” for staff.
What listeners at all levels can do to help in their own settings, disciplines, and areas of practice.

More Ways to Learn:

Join organizations that are geared towards enhancing health literacy such as: https://betterhealthinfo.org/
Use educational formats such as: https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/index.htm
Learn about the journey to become a health literate organization, at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666686/

Read the transcript of this podcast

The post New Clinicians & Health Literacy: Putting Classroom Learning into Everyday Practice (HLOL #215) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Next Episode

Publishing and Sharing Health Literacy Research and Experiences (HLOL #217)

Aisha Langford, PhD, MPH is an assistant professor of population health at NYU Langone Health. Her research interests include health communication and medical decision-making in certain chronic health conditions. Prior to working in academic research, Langford held professional roles in public relations, adult literacy, and community outreach. She is an active member of several professional societies and serves as an associate editor for two journals: Clinical Trials and Patient Education and Counseling.

In this podcast, Dr. Langford talks with Helen Osborne about:

Benefits and motivations for researchers and practitioners to publish and share their experiences about health literacy.
Formats and options for sharing this information including peer-reviewed journals, online discussions, conferences, and podcasts.
Ways to access relevant data, even without easy access to academic libraries.

More Ways to Learn:

Langford AT, Hawley ST, et al. “Development of a Plain Language Decision Support Tool for Cancer Clinical Trials: Blending Health Literacy, Academic Research, and Minority Patient Perspectives.” Journal of Cancer Education, 2020. DOI:1007/s13187-019-1482-5
Langford A, Loeb S. “Perceived Patient-Provider Communication Quality and Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Watching Health -Related Videos on YouTube: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.” J Med Internet Research, 2019. DOI:2196/13512
Clinical Trials, from Sage Journals. At https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ctj
Patient Education and Counseling, from Elsevier. At https://www.journals.elsevier.com/patient-education-and-counseling
National Cancer Institute, “Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS),” at https://hints.cancer.gov
Pew Research Center, at https://www.pewresearch.org