Medical Editor Specializing in Health Literacy and Plain Language for Patient Readability

Experienced Medical Editor | Health Literacy & Plain Language

Let’s talk 👋 Don’t hesitate to reach out to the contact info below, or send a message using the form.

---

---

What is Health Literacy?

Who has Low Health Literacy?
An estimated 90 million Americans have low health literacy, including many:

• With lower socioeconomic status or education;
• Who are elderly;
• With low English proficiency (LEP) and/or who are non-native speakers of English; and
• Who are receiving publicly-financed health coverage or other socio-economic assistance.

The burden of low health literacy does not lie only on the individual. Health care organizations must also be health literate to reduce the demands placed on individuals.

What is the Impact of Low Health Literacy?
Low health literacy can result in:

• Medication errors;
• Low rates of treatment compliance due to poor communication
• between providers and patients;
• Reduced use of preventive services and unnecessary emergency room visits;
• Ineffective management of chronic conditions, due to inadequate self-care skills;
• Longer hospital stays and increased hospital re-admissions;
• Poor responsiveness to public health emergencies; and
• Higher mortality.

Source: Center For Health Strategies, Inc.

Health Care Outcomes
Compared to those with proficient health literacy, adults with low health literacy experience:

• 4 times higher health care costs
• 6% more hospital visits
• 2 day-longer hospital staysSource: Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation.

---

How Can I Help Your Project?

For five years, I served as Editor of Patient Education for M Health Fairview, identified by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 10 health care systems in the United States.

• I edited and proofread a wide variety of print and digital patient-facing materials on surgeries, medical devices, medicines and other therapies, nutrition, mental health and wellbeing, and a many other health topics. I also reviewed technical documentation and marketing content.
• I am fluent in the AMA Style Guide.
• I am a certified Health Literacy Specialist from the Institute of Healthcare Advancement.

I write with empathy to ensure patient materials are not just clear, but also reassuring and supportive. Health information can be overwhelming, so I focus on using plain language while maintaining a warm, conversational tone that makes patients feel heard and respected. I avoid jargon, break down complex concepts, and choose words that inform without intimidating. By keeping the patient’s experience in mind, I create content that guides, comforts, and empowers them to make confident health decisions.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, I oversaw health literacy edits to a new patient status messaging tool. At that critical time, the tool helped us stay in contact with patients who were feeling symptoms but could not get a hospital bed. Later, the tool was demonstrated to have saved lives during the pandemic. That kind of success is in part because the tool’s helpful language made patients feel invited and involved, the key goal of health literacy.

I would love to talk about the specifics of your project.

Let’s set up a quick consultation by phone, email, or video chat today. Thank you for your time!

---