Creating Culturally Sensitive Written Materials

Concerns about health literacy and the readability of health resources are compounded when the resources are intended for an individual whose first language is not English. There are many good resources available online, some of which we list in the resources section of this case under Foreign Language Educational Materials. However, it is important for genetic counselors to evaluate any materials you have not personally created to verify that is appropriate for your patient population. A brief checklist for assessing foreign language materials follows (from Shaw and Ahmed, 2004):

• Are easy, everyday words and phrases from the target language used?

• Are English technical terms explained?

• Is there a corresponding English text (so the English-speaking health professional can select and evaluate the correct resource)?

• Is the print large enough to read easily?

• Is the sequence of information clear?

• Do diagrams make sense to lay readers?

• Can a health professional who does not speak the target language identify the leaflet?

• Are there contact details for relevant agencies and target-language speaking professionals?

As evaluating foreign language materials can be difficult if you do not speak the target language, consider involving a translator in this process (or a cultural broker, if possible). A translator can help determine if both the language is correct and the information, and its presentation, would be culturally appropriate for your patient. These professionals may also help you search the Internet for materials in the target language. Navigating websites in a foreign language may not be within your skillset. On the other hand, the translator may not have a strong knowledge of genetics. Thus, it is important to work closely with the translator to ensure that the meaning of a resource is not lost in translation.

If materials are not already available in the target language, consider working with translator services at your institution when creating new patient materials. The content addressed in English written resources may need to be adapted based on the cultural context of the target language (Shaw and Ahmed, 2004). It may not be sufficient to translate patient material word-for-word; even the visual layout needs to be culturally sensitive. When translating a prenatal intake form into another language, the counselor should consider common prenatal exposures specific to the ethnic group that speaks the target language (Simpson, Gawron, Mull and Walker, 1994 ). Cultural brokers and translators can work with you to create medically accurate, culturally sensitive patient materials. Once this material is generated, it is important to field-test any newly developed materials. For more information on field-testing resources, see OSU’s “Write it in Plain Language ” handout.

Exercise:

Take one copy of your clinic’s intake forms and/or the most commonly used patient education materials to the translation center at your institution. Discuss the process of translating these materials into the two most common non-English languages spoken by the patients served by your center. Also consider how you might engage members of the community (leaders and/or clients) in the process.

Exercise:

Develop one new low literacy patient counseling aid. Review the visual aid with a health literacy expert in your area and with your colleagues. Use it in clinic and get client feedback. Share the counseling aid with genetic counseling colleagues.