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Biomedical subjects

Rima E Rudd

Publications and source records attributed to Rima E Rudd.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Literacy demands of product information intended to supplement television direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows television direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements that do not fully disclose drug risks if the ads include "adequate provision" for dissemination of the drug's approved labeling. This requirement can be met in part by referring consumers to multiple text sources of product labeling. This study was designed to assess the materials to which consumers were referred in 23 DTC television advertisements. SMOG assessments showed that the average reading grade levels were in the high school range for the main body sections of the materials and college-level range for the brief summary sections. The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument identified specific difficulties with the materials, including content, graphics, layout, and typography features. Stronger plain language requirements are recommended. Health care providers should be aware that patients who ask about an advertised drug might not have the full information required to make an informed decision.

Advertising↗
PubMed2004

Asthma: in plain language.

The Community Asthma Program was designed to increase awareness of asthma among urban residents and to bring more people into available care. Educational sessions with patients indicated that many adults struggle with the complicated demands of managing a chronic disease. At the same time, however, a good deal of the written materials meant to provide information and assistance instead make inappropriate demands on the average adult reader. The project team members developed a glossary of asthma terms to improve communication between patients and providers and to help patients understand the materials commonly used in neighborhood health centers. We report on the development of the glossary and describe formative research activities, initial dissemination efforts, and an interim evaluation. Health literacy, included in the goals and objectives for Healthy People 2010, can be improved when health materials are written in plain language and designed for the existing skills of the average U.S. adult reader.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Leave no one behind: improving health and risk communication through attention to literacy.

Twice in recent times, the federal government mailed critical health-related information to every household in the United States. The mailings, the 1988 brochure Understanding AIDS and the 2001 postcard A Message to Americans, were designed to provide the general public with important information about needed action. This paper compares the development process undertaken for each mailing. The authors assess content and format in light of communication principles and the functional literacy skills of average adults. The authors, noting that the reading grade level of the postcard exceeds the reading ability of the average adult, recommend that plain language guidelines be combined with health and risk communication principles in all future efforts to alert the public.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rewriting public health information in plain language.

Public health materials are often designed to inform and rally the public to spur action and maintain vigilance on important issues to family, work, community, and public policy. Limited access to public health information certainly curtails knowledge and awareness but may also hamper action and civic involvement. A growth in published assessments of health materials indicates an increased interest in the mismatch between the reading level of most health materials and the reading ability of the average adult. However, while several guidebooks offer suggestions for developing new materials, little attention has been given to the process of rewriting materials and grappling with bureaucratic language. We describe, in this case study, a process we used to assess and then rewrite a federally mandated report to consumers about the quality of their water.

Communication↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A content analysis of direct-to-consumer television prescription drug advertisements.

This article reports the results of a content analysis of 23 direct-to-consumer (DTC) product-specific television prescription drug advertisements broadcast during 2001. A majority of ads used both medical and lay terms to convey medical ideas. Most gave consumers somewhat more time to absorb facts about benefits than those about risks, which could have implications for the "fair balance" requirement. Complete references to additional product information were given only in text, casting doubt on whether these ads are making"adequate provision"for dissemination of detailed product information. Overall, our results call into question the potential of these ads to educate consumers.

Advertising↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comprehension of information in three direct-to-consumer television prescription drug advertisements among adults with limited literacy.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) television advertisements present a number of facts about prescription drug risks and benefits in a brief time. This study assessed comprehension of information in three advertisements among 50 adults with limited literacy. Participants correctly answered an average of 59% of comprehension questions. The percentage of respondents correctly answering individual comprehension questions ranged from 26% to 92%. A multivariate analysis suggested that type of information (risk vs. other) and channel (text vs. audio) predicted comprehension. There was a significant interaction effect for literacy and place of birth. Our results suggest key areas for future research on comprehension of DTC advertising.

Adult↗