Attachments
No, we're not talking about email attachments. We're talking
about source language attachment and how it affects Plain Language
Writing.
There are various reasons why someone would push back on
to terminology that our writers need to use in favor of the source language. Often,
this pushback unnecessarily inhibits Health Literacy and Plain Language
efforts.
Here are 4 source language attachments that affect
Plain Language:
1. Legal Attachment
Copy that is created by your Legal Division creates a strong
attachment because it is written by legal experts and often serves an important
corporate need. If the legal copy is about understanding legal rights, those
legal concepts should be written in Plain Language.Remember: Legal copy should not inhibit readability and understanding.
2. Emotional Attachment
Certain forms of push backs exhibit an emotional attachment
to the negative associations with the terminology. A strong example of this is
the word "drug" as opposed to "medication" or
"medicine." There is fear that the term will negatively impact the
brand even though that is the term that many use at the 4th grade
level.
Remember: Plain Language uses terminology that is
understood and used by the target audience.
3. Information Attachment
Separating the "nice to know" from the
"need to know" is harder than you may think. Writers and
Health Experts have a hard time letting go of information that may not benefit
the reader as much as they think it would. It may also be information that is
based on a medicalized approach and stops the reader from going forward with
interest. The organization of information is also affected by what the writer
knows is important medical information, but doesn't always promote the
information that drives the behavior.
Remember: Information in Plain Language is only good if
it affects behavior.
4. Design Attachment
A polished design may look good, but is not always effective
in driving behavior. Plain Language Design concepts do not always promote the
design concepts that are embraced by the Marketing Department, but serve a
vital need in understanding concepts and behaviors. See our presentation on what "good" looks like for design.
Remember: Design is one of the tools to affect behavior
as well.
There is nothing wrong with being attached to the source
language. It can foster a healthy debate over terminology. If you ask yourself
why you have a need for certain terminology and consider alternative ways to
address these terms in Plain Language, you will more likely get the result that
you need from your healthcare communications.
