In modern medicine, the use of plain language is a fundamental clinical skill. This is especially critical when health decisions can profoundly affect a patient’s life, impacting their financial stability, ability to work, personal independence, and mental well-being, as well as their capacity for managing daily care, recognizing warning signs, and adhering to treatment plans. Considering the patient as a partner in their care, an informed decision can only be made when it is based on a clear, shared understanding of the diagnosis, treatment options, and their consequences. However, as a health care provider, I’ve noticed that plain language alone often falls short. While we simplify complex terms, the sheer volume of information can still be overwhelming, particularly for patients with limitations like language barriers, anxiety, or learning disabilities, or when they are feeling marginalized. This is dramatically compounded when the information concerns a major surgery or a complicated, life-altering disease. I’ve experienced numerous times that after carefully explaining the reasoning behind a procedure using simple terms, patients were still unable to properly articulate their understanding. This immediate failure to confirm comprehension signals a critical, ongoing gap in effective communication.
This communication gap has consequences that extend far beyond the clinic walls. Many people, seeking to better understand their diagnosis, turn to the internet. YouTube and other platforms are flooded with health-related videos that often contain misinformation, misleading advice, or generalized ideas that may not apply to a specific patient’s condition. The sheer volume of this content makes it hard for a layperson to distinguish fact from fiction, a major problem, considering only 12 percent of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy, meaning the vast majority can struggle to navigate complex health information. This environment can lead to genuinely harmful decisions, such as a patient declining a time-sensitive surgery based on an unproven “natural cure” seen online.
What can truly fill this gap and ensure patients receive reliable information is visualization, including photos, diagrams, animations, and videos. Our brains are hardwired to process visual information efficiently; cognitive science consistently shows that combining visuals with text significantly improves understanding and retention compared to text or speech alone. High-quality, reliable visual content from trusted sources is therefore not just about education; it is a critical patient safety intervention against health misinformation.
When we combine plain language with visual data, allowing patients to literally see their current status and the potential results of each treatment option, the goal of true comprehension is met more efficiently. For example, I used to ask people with diabetes about their foot assessment. Many either were not aware of the importance of checking their feet or simply assumed everything was fine. However, when I started to share a simple, color brochure illustrating various foot conditions that can arise from diabetes, their engagement changed immediately. Patients showed increased interest in foot care, actively asking how they can check their own feet. This observation proved to me that when patients see the possible consequences of ignoring their condition, it transforms an abstract, imaginary risk into a visual and actual possibility.
With huge improvements in AI-assisted image and video creation and an increasing number of professional educational animations, the time for health centers and organizations to act is now. We must consider visualization as an essential, non-negotiable part of patient education, not just a supplement. It is the necessary next step to move beyond simple plain language and ensure every patient, regardless of their background, is truly informed.
Hamid Moghimi is a health communicator and registered practical nurse.
