There is a mismatch between client reading level and the reading level of most health educational handouts. More than half of all Americans may be unable to read and understand health-related handouts given to them in a hospital or clinic. This can lead to noncompliance with treatment, missed appointments, taking the wrong dosage of medications, and unnecessary fear. Nurses can make handouts more user-friendly. The reading level can be changed so more patients can understand the materials, and the formatting of the handout can be modified to better serve all reading levels.
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Kenneth Brownson (1998) studied this question.
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