Creating Patient Education Resources

Guidelines for Content Creators

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Guidelines

All patient education pamphlets are created to be:

  1. Easy to access – The pamphlets collection is available online for the public and staff to search or browse, with the option to print. Print copies of pamphlets are readily available for staff to order from Dalhousie Printing Services.
  2. Accurate – All pamphlet files are managed by the Patient Education Team. This ensures they are reviewed and approved by clinical staff every 3 to 5 years to reflect current clinical practice and best evidence.
  3. Easy to read and understand – To accommodate varying levels of health literacy, all pamphlets are written in plain language (around a grade 6 reading level) and are organized for maximum readability. This ensures all patients have access to the same information.
  4. Accessible – All pamphlets are designed to meet recommended accessibility standards and incorporate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  5. High quality – All pamphlets are reviewed and copyedited by more than one staff member to ensure they are of the highest quality and use consistent language.

Patient education resources created and used within Nova Scotia Health are:

  • Evidence-based.
  • Targeted for specific patient populations.
  • Intended to be more in-depth than general consumer health information that may be retrieved from an internet search or other general health resources.

These guidelines explain the process for developing most Nova Scotia Health patient education resources. These guidelines support and expand on Nova Scotia Health policy AD-LIB-001 Patient Education Materials: Development and Maintenance.

The Patient Education Team is available to support Nova Scotia Health staff and clinicians across the province in creating evidence-based, people-centred pamphlets (as per Nova Scotia Health policy AD-LIB-001). The Team will:

  • Determine if the material is suitable to be added to the patient education collection.
  • Review and edit patient education resources for readability, plain language, and consistency.
  • Work with the Copyright Team to provide copyright guidance, and facilitate adaptation and permission requests.
  • Manage Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlet versions and file formats.
  • Initiate cyclical reviews of each patient education pamphlet to ensure clinical accuracy and patient safety.
  • Format and implement organizational branding standards using design software.
  • Ensure the patient education pamphlets collection is accessible and meets provincial accessibility standards.
  • Create and provide pamphlet files for printing to Dalhousie Printing Services.
  • Manage and provide access to the patient education pamphlets collection online.

What is the role of pamphlet content creators?

Nova Scotia Health staff and clinicians are responsible for:

  • Creating, reviewing, and updating the content of patient education pamphlets used in their area, group, department, clinic, or specialty, in collaboration with the Patient Education Team. This may be an individual or a working group.
  • Ensuring all content (including images) used in their resources is used in accordance with Canadian copyright law.
  • Ensuring all resources are reviewed and approved by an appropriate team member and clinical subject matter expert every 3-5 years.
  • Recycling outdated print copies of any patient education pamphlets to prevent the circulation of misinformation.
  • Contacting Pamphlets@nshealth.ca as soon as possible if misinformation is identified within a current patient education pamphlet.

Nova Scotia Health policy AD-LIB-001 outlines the process to create and maintain Nova Scotia Health patient education resources (pamphlets) in support of person-centred care by accommodating differing levels of health literacy, for increased patient compliance and safety.

             Communications                                    Forms                                        Pamphlets@nshealth.ca

Archiving Project

What do you need to do? 

  1. Check the list of titles that are due for review. 
  2. Email pamphlets@nshealth.ca to let us know you intend to update a pamphlet on the list before the January 30, 2025 deadline.
  3. Complete this form to recommend a pamphlet on the list for archiving.
  4. Share this information with your colleagues who are involved in patient education pamphlets in your area, department, unit, or clinic.
  5. If you have paper copies of pamphlets in your department or service area, please check the date on the cover and recycle copies from 2019 or before. This is to ensure patient safety is upheld. 

Routine archiving of out-of-date pamphlets is done in accordance with policy AD-LIB-001 Patient Education Materials: Development and Maintenance, which helps ensure Nova Scotia Health patients and families receive up-to-date patient education materials. Patient pamphlets must be reviewed by the teams that created them, and/or the teams that use them, to confirm whether the pamphlets need to be updated or removed from circulation.

How can the Patient Education Team help? 

  • We can send you the latest version of the pamphlet as a Microsoft (MS) Word document, so you can edit it easily.
  • We facilitate the review and update process for you, including: 
    • Integrating your team’s edits and feedback
    • Reviewing for plain language and readability
    • Coordinating adaptation and reprint copyright permission requests
    • Ensuring consistent messaging in line with other Nova Scotia Health materials
    • Updating layout and branding

Questions? Contact pamphlets@nshealth.ca

Finding Pamphlets

Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlets are available in two main places:

Save or share these instructions on how to find Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlets:

Plain Language Review

To accommodate varying levels of health literacy, information intended for patients and the public should be written in plain language, with a goal of a grade 6 reading level. The Patient Education Team is available to review any item intended for use with patients (like a letter, poster, or form) that is not suitable for the patient education collection. We will review and revise for plain language and offer suggestions to improve the readability of the material.

Send your draft to pamphlets@nshealth.ca or use this form:

 Project Request Form