Pharmafile Logo

From text to context: Helping patients see side effects clearly

Discover how thoughtful design, clear language, and structured visuals can transform overwhelming side effect information into accessible, actionable insights for patients in our latest Health Literacy series.

Before and after

Our Health Literacy series continues, and this time we’re sharing another example of how thoughtful design, structure and language are essential to inform, educate and empower patients — this time in identifying side effects.

If you have read a patient insert for a medicine, or an informed consent form, you will know that side effects lists are often long, confusing, and intimidating. This can make keeping track of what to look out for, and what to do about it, completely overwhelming.

But it doesn’t have to be. For example, our ‘before’ and ‘after’ examples below include the same information, presented in very different ways. And it’s often this that makes the greatest difference to patients: how clearly and accessibly information is communicated.

Before:

- PMLiVE

Safety information for patients included a dense, unformatted list of all potential side effects. The descriptions relied heavily on technical terminology, with no context, categories, or cues, making it difficult for readers to take away anything actionable.

After:

- PMLiVE

First, we translated all of the technical terms into lay language — “dry mouth” is just easier to process than “xerostomia”.

Next, we grouped everything by body system, so there’s no need to jump around the list for all related side effects.

Finally, we visualised each category on a silhouette, so readers know, at a glance, which body areas might be affected, and which specific changes to look out for.

By combining clear language and intuitive visuals, we’ve made potentially daunting side effect information easier to understand, recognise, and act on.

This content was provided by Cuttsy + Cuttsy

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Cuttsy + Cuttsy 

Flexible working: a fad or the future?

As the Flexible Working Bill gets written into UK law, we took a look at what this means for businesses of all sizes and specialities.

Looking for a job head first

During Health Information Week, we reflected on mental health and wellbeing within the workplace. Cuttsy+Cuttsy’s mental health first aider and HR Manager, Kate McCabe, shared some thoughts on what mental...

Patients as Partners – putting people first in clinical trials

Cuttsy+Cuttsy's key takeaways from the Patients as Partners conference 2023

What are the ingredients for a perfect partnership?

Perfect partnerships can take many forms. Just like avocado and toast or tea and biscuits, all good on their own, but better together.

Cuttsy Cares Continues…

Cuttsy+Cuttsy's charitable programme — Cuttsy Cares — has been running for the past 2 years, providing the team with the opportunity to support causes close to their hearts.

B-lown away by our first CDP rating

A catch up with Louise Jones, Cuttsy+Cuttsy's sustainability officer, on what was achieved in 2022, the agency's latest environmental assessment with CDP and a look ahead to 2023.

Cuttsy+Cuttsy campaign takes health literacy to the North Pole

Our 2022 Christmas campaign saw Santa’s agency elves creating tailored materials for patients. But were the examples guided by the principles of health literacy? Were they naughty or nice?

Celebrating award-winning patient-centricity

Every year, Cuttsy+Cuttsy choose to sponsor 'Patient Programmes' at the PM Society Digital awards. Here's why.

Cuttsy+Cuttsy’s first EcoVadis rating comes back silver!

Louise Jones, Sustainability Officer at Cuttsy+Cuttsy celebrates their new silver sustainability rating

Cuttsy+Cuttsy gain highly regarded PIF Partner status

As official PIF Partners, Cuttsy+Cuttsy will be supporting the Patient Information Forum raise awareness of the PIF TICK.