Fighting Misinformation through Research and Plain Language

Usually, documents issued by Life Sciences and Medical organizations or regulatory agencies are technical in nature and full of medical terminology – as they should be. After all, they are the result of clinical study activities that must comply with rules and regulations that exist to ensure the patient’s safety and research quality.

Since much of this information is publicly available, social media is a great way to share it. However, keep in mind that you should do it accurately and using a language that your readers will understand.

First step: Research

You need to make sure that the information is reliable, and that you have all the facts:

1. Check the organization or agency’s website. Often, you will find glossaries and related documents that can help you. Search for similar documents, you will probably find something useful there.
2. Check other sources, as long as they are trustworthy.
3. Ask a healthcare professional or a patient organization that may be familiar with the topic to help you fully understand it.
4. Contact the organization or agency directly. In my experience, they are open to answering questions and tend to reply in a relatively swift way.

When it is time to share the information, you should include the link to the source, and above all, use plain language.

Second step: Plain language

Plain language?is designed to ensure that your readers understand your text as quickly, easily, and completely as possible.?This is how the International Plain Language Federation defines it:

“A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.”

Your text should be clear, concise, organized, and appropriate for the intended audience. When writing your text, you should:

• Consider your target audience (their age, profession, education, and skills);
• Break content into sections;
• Write short sentences;
• Prefer the active voice;
• Use everyday words and avoid jargon. If you must use technical terms, explain them on the first reference.

These are just a few recommendations. Plain language goes beyond the text itself. As stated by the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), there are five areas to consider (you can find a detailed description of each area here):

1. Audience and purpose: Assess your readers and your goal.
2. Structure: Break information up into appropriate sections, by using headings, lists, and bullets.
3. Design: Include images, fonts, and other graphics.
4. Expression: Use a language that your audience is comfortable with by preferring to use simpler terms and being consistent.
5. Evaluation: Examine your text to make sure it follows these principles and is appropriate for your audience.

To sum up, one of the benefits of social media is that they allow us to share information. However, you have to make sure that you understand it and that your readers will understand it as well.

Information can easily turn into misinformation – though unintentionally. You can avoid this by taking the right steps when sharing it.

Ana Sofia Correia is an English to Portuguese medical translator and writer based in Portugal. For the past fourteen years, she has worked with Life Sciences companies, Contract Research Organizations, Language Service Providers, and Medical Communication agencies translating and writing content for clinical trials, medical devices, regulatory submissions, education materials, and marketing campaigns. After 12 years working as an in-house translator at the Center for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra and the Nursing School of Coimbra, she became a full-time freelancer in 2019. She is a member of the Board of Directors of APTRAD (where she also is a Mentor) and TREMéDICA. Whether she is translating or writing, her goal is to support her clients as they make treatments and information available to Portuguese-speaking patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and the general population.?