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Simplifying Program Materials

Simplifying Program Materials. Penny Lane, The Center for Health Literacy MAXIMUS. The Essentials. Writing Formatting The Web Translation Field-testing. Build a Team. Stakeholders: Consumers (need information) Program (content, design) Systems (formatting)

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Simplifying Program Materials

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  1. Simplifying Program Materials Penny Lane, The Center for Health Literacy MAXIMUS

  2. The Essentials • Writing • Formatting • The Web • Translation • Field-testing The Center for Health Literacy

  3. Build a Team Stakeholders: • Consumers (need information) • Program (content, design) • Systems (formatting) • Lawyers (full disclosure) • Mail House (production) • Finance (costs) The Center for Health Literacy

  4. The Facts Who are “low literate readers”? • Almost half of the American public • A large percentage of Medicaid/SCHIP consumers • Many who are articulate! • Survivors The Center for Health Literacy

  5. Conversations with consumers • Consumers want to understand materials • They want to know why the state is asking for information • They respond to a friendly, encouraging tone • They skim and skip around The Center for Health Literacy

  6. The Cost • They don’t read your notice* • They read without comprehension* • They miss important messages* • They miss deadlines/lose services* • They use an intermediary (privacy!) • They’ll call you for help* The Center for Health Literacy

  7. Do you have a problem? • Arm’s length view • Read aloud test The Center for Health Literacy

  8. Problematic Notices • Poor formatting • Difficult vocabulary • Difficult syntax • Packed sentences • Too many messages • Consumer action/decision unclear The Center for Health Literacy

  9. Difficult Vocabulary transitional eligible, eligibility, ineligible disqualified comply exceeds penalty terminated revealed enrollment discontinued re-enrolled category disenrolled failure expired verification hearing effective denial The Center for Health Literacy

  10. IT IS TIME TO DETERMINE YOUR CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS. THE REDETERMINATION MUST BE COMPLETED OR YOUR [PROGRAM] BENEFITS WILL END. • CONTACT ME FOR AN APPOINTMENT • PLEASE BRING THE COMPLETED FORM TO THE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT AT [DATE]. YOU MUST ANSWER EVERY QUESTION ON THE APPLICATION FORM, EVEN THOUGH NOTHING MAY HAVE CHANGED. YOU MUST PROVIDE THE PROOF LISTED ON THE ENCLOSED FORM. CONTACT ME BY [DATE] IF YOU NEED TO RESCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT. The Center for Health Literacy

  11. IT IS TIMETOblah blah blahYOURblah blah blahblah blah blahFOR BENEFITS. THEblah blah blahMUST BEblah blah blahOR YOUR [PROGRAM] BENEFITS WILL END. • CONTACT ME FOR ANblah blah blah • PLEASE BRING THEblah blah blahFORM TO THEblah blah blahAT [DATE]. YOU MUST ANSWER EVERY QUESTION ON THE APPLICATION FORM, EVEN THOUGH NOTHING MAY HAVE CHANGED. YOU MUSTblah blah blahTHE PROOF LISTED ON THEblah blah blahFORM. CONTACT ME BY [DATE] IF YOU NEED TOblah blah blahTHEblah blah blah. The Center for Health Literacy

  12. A packed sentence From a notice currently in use: For TANF household: your household’s benefits may be reduced if, since signing the Personal Responsibility Agreement (Form 1073), any caretaker relative or parent in the TANF household has been convicted or has deferred adjudication for (1) using, selling, or possessing marijuana or any controlled substance in violation of. . . The Center for Health Literacy

  13. Unpacking If you get TANF, you may get less money if • A parent or relative who cares for someone in the house has been found guilty of using marijuana or any other substance that is not legal • Etc. The Center for Health Literacy

  14. Difficult syntax From an application currently in use: Does anyone in your household, including yourself, own, or is anyone buying the home in which you live? Yes ⁙ No ⁙ If Yes, describe the property below, and its use; the size of the structure (building); amount of acreage, or lot size; and location___________________ The Center for Health Literacy

  15. If YES, and if you are institutionalized, do you intend to return to your home? ₑ Yes ⁙ No Does anyone in your household, including yourself, own ANY property (in state OR out of state) OTHER than home property, including a share in estate (heir) property ⁙ Yes ⁙ No If YES, etc. The Center for Health Literacy

  16. Improved syntax Who owns the house you live in? You ? ⁱ Someone else who lives in your house?ⁱ Someone who does not live in your house? ⁱ Do you own other property? yesⁱ no ⁱ Does anyone else in your house own other property? yesⁱ no ⁱ The Center for Health Literacy

  17. Fonts • This is a serif type face. It’s Times New Roman. The letters are “finished off” with decorative strokes. It’s easier on the eyes, particularly in blocks of text. • This is a sans serif type face. It’s Arial. (No decorative strokes) Good for headers! Bad for blocks of text! The Center for Health Literacy

  18. Problematic Applications • Poor formatting • Hard-to-find instructions • Difficult vocabulary • Difficult navigation • Sentence structure (syntax) The Center for Health Literacy

  19. The Center for Health Literacy

  20. Quick Fixes • Reduce • Revise • Reformat The Center for Health Literacy

  21. Mistakes were made. We made a mistake.

  22. More remedies • Improve translations/adaptations • Translate more • Highlight a comprehensive “help” message • Field test! Field test! Field test! The Center for Health Literacy

  23. Help message If you have questions, you can call 1-800-123-4567, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (TTY: 1-800-123-4568) The call is free. The Center for Health Literacy

  24. The Center for Health Literacy

  25. The Center for Health Literacy

  26. The Center for Health Literacy

  27. The World Wide Web: Who knew? Used by • Applicants • Children of applicants • Friends and relatives of applicants • Your staff The Center for Health Literacy

  28. Web material, including on-line apps • Plan • Web users SCAN more than read • Make it intuitive • Make it visually simple • Make it linguistically appropriate • Make it accessible doing is more memorable and makes a stronger emotional impact than seeing (Neilson) The Center for Health Literacy

  29. General rules for the web • Less content per screen. • No scrolling for key messages. • All writing rules apply! • Navigation should be crystal clear. • Not too many tabs. The Center for Health Literacy

  30. The Center for Health Literacy

  31. The Center for Health Literacy

  32. The Center for Health Literacy

  33. The Center for Health Literacy

  34. Online interactive applications • Brief, in place instructions • Error messages that “pop” • A way to revisit • A way to page back • A review and opportunity to edit • Formatting guidelines apply • Writing rules apply • A clear “what’s next?” • A help message • Usability testing! The Center for Health Literacy

  35. And ask yourself • Can users find it easily from your state’s Home Page? The Center for Health Literacy

  36. Translation: More important than ever • Take as much care as with the English original • Find the right translation company and designer • Provide a glossary • QA your translations • Field test in every language! The Center for Health Literacy

  37. Field Testing on a shoe string • Prepare, and develop unbiased questions • Choose 10-15 consumers • Do informal one-on-one interviews • Be appreciative and uncritical • Protect privacy • Watch and learn; look for trends The Center for Health Literacy

  38. Field Testing Check List • Confidentiality • Why is this going to help? • This is not a test! • Reading out loud rules • Avoid filling silences • Don’t give your opinion • Probe • Check • Use the protocol as a guide The Center for Health Literacy

  39. Final words of advice: • Be persuasive • Be persistent • Please the content experts AND the readers! The Center for Health Literacy

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