The DUHS Patient Education Governance Council is a multi-disciplinary health system council that helps ensure our patient education materials are consistent and best meet the needs of all our patients by using the best practices of health literacy.
DUHS requires that the council review and approve all patient education materials before they are finalized and used with patients and caregivers. The group meets on the second Wednesday of each month to consider submitted materials. If you have a piece that needs review, please send the text and design document to ptedgovcouncil@duke.edu. For additional questions, contact Jen Klein or Chuck Rodgers, members of the DUHS Patient Education team. Helpful resources for submitting patient education for review and approval can be located on the DUHS Patient Education site at https://duke.is/PE.
In addition to the council’s review, patient education materials should adhere to our Duke Health brand standards. Below are a few helpful tips related to branding and style guidelines for patient education materials.
Readability
All copy should be at least 12-point. Words can be bolded, but never italicized or underlined. The reading level of the materials should be at a 5th grade reading level. Plain language should be used to simplify medical terminology.
- CDC plain language information
- List of plain language alternatives for commonly used medical terms
- Sentences should be short – 10 words or less.
Content
- Use a table of contents when there are more than seven pages of text.
- Limit content to what the patient needs to know.
- Direct patients to other sources of information as applicable.
- Ensure content is free from bias.
- Ensure content is gender neutral.
- When appropriate, vet content with all Duke entities.
Design
- Patient education materials should include an identifiable, green bar that clearly reads "Patient Education."
- Iconography for use in patient education materials is also available for download on the brand center.
- Materials also need to include a line with the date the materials were approved by the Patient Education Governance Council.
