Online Custom «Health Information Piece Analysis» Essay Sample

Section 1

The provided health information piece focuses on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of rhinitis, aiming at the adults that experience the effects of this disease in either direct or indirect way. In the terms of readability, the brochure is easy for comprehension for its target auditory. First of all, its content is limited to the two key objectives, with the first of them being the overview of the two different manifestations of rhinitis (i.e. the allergic and non-allergic forms). However, there are cases of information overload, namely the description of a mechanism of work of the immune cells during the disease, which usually does not present any interest to a patient. Moreover, the brochure contains words that may be difficult to comprehend for the people without medical education (e.g. leukotrienes), which does not contribute to its readability. Still, the content is appropriate for the adult readers and is neutral in its nature, making it usable by the representatives of the various cultures.

The article is written at the 6th-grade reading level, meaning that it is supposed to be easy to understand. At the same time, approximately the fifth part of the words in the text contains three and more syllables. They are primarily the scientific terms, such as the names of medical conditions (e.g. rhinitis medicamentosa), and drugs (e.g. leukotriene receptor antagonists), which are difficult to comprehend for an untrained reader. Nevertheless, the paragraphs in the brochure are comparatively short, ranging from three to five sentences in length, which enhances its readability. The text is mostly written in the active voice, and there are no tables or graphs. Additionally, the brochure uses single font style (both uppercase and lowercase) with serifs, which is easy to read.

In terms of layout, the provided health information piece is well-organized. First of all, there is much empty space on its pages. The blocks of text are separated with easily distinguishable headings (e.g. allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis), and subheadings (e.g. diagnosis and treatment). It also uses bullet lists for the description of the causes and symptoms of rhinitis, as well as the recommendations regarding the visit to the healthcare specialists. At the same time, there are almost no pictures, but in this case, they are not as important. As a result, the brochure does not irritate the eyes of its reader, making the process of data acquisition much more efficient.

Section 2

By considering the information provided in the previous section, it is possible to improve the brochure in the following way. First of all, it is advisable to remove the unnecessary information from it completely (e.g. the description of a mechanism of work of the immune cells during rhinitis) as the average patient does not require knowing about such details. At the same time, considering the fact that health information piece primarily advices turning to the physician at the signs of the disease, the same can be said about the data on its scientific names (e.g. rhinitis medicamentosa and vasomotor rhinitis), which may be of interest only to the healthcare specialists. However, the names of the drugs have to remain in the text despite their complexity for an average reader as it is imperative that the patient knows the ways of combating the manifestations of the disease. At the same time, it is possible to simplify the process of the information retrieval through the addition of several photos depicting such medicaments (e.g. the shape and color of the package) to the brochure. In this case, the name of a drug and its visual image will become intertwine in the mind of a reader, making it easier for him/her to remember the information from the article and act accordingly in the case of rhinitis. At the same time, it should be noted that the brochure is written at the 6th-grade reading level, meaning that it does not require rewriting to simplify it. The described measures will allow improving the readability of the health information piece for the patient, thus, ensuring the efficiency of his/her response to the disease.

Section 3

From the point of view of an average adult reader, the brochure provides enough information to define the form of the disease on the basis of the observed symptoms (in case of allergic rhinitis) or triggers, such as the certain drugs (non-allergic rhinitis). At the same time, there is almost no description of the course of actions the patient must take on his/her own. There is only a recommendation to visit the physician for the development of a treatment plan. Considering that it is not always possible to contact the healthcare specialist at the first signs of the disorder, one can use additional instructions. Nevertheless, the information on drugs that must be taken to mitigate the negative effects of the disease is useful, but only in the context of an article. In particular, the respondent was asked about the meaning of the words nasal corticosteroid spray. She was able to identify the application of this drug (the injection of its fine droplets in the nasal passage through the use of a small hand pump) but not the mechanism of its action. In turn, it is clear that to understand certain terms mentioned in the brochure, it must be read completely.

By considering the given feedback, it is possible to provide the following recommendations regarding the improvement of the article. First of all, the instructions regarding the patient’s actions during rhinitis must not be presented only in the form of a drugs list. There also must be the description of the preventive measures as it is usually easier to prevent the disease than treat it. In case of rhinitis, the prevention is primarily aimed at strengthening the immunity. Such information has to be presented in the form of a bulleted list to distinguish it from the rest of the text. Moreover, it may be better to simplify certain scientific terms through the use of their more common synonyms. For example, the words nasal corticosteroid spray should be replaced with anti-inflammatory nasal spray. In such way, the effect of a drug becomes obvious to the reader without the need to delve deeper into the brochure, which can be difficult for a patient with the low level of literacy. Moreover, such replacement will allow reducing the length of the information piece, since the description of the drugs’ effects will become redundant and, thus, can be removed. In turn, the time required to read the text will also decrease, meaning that it can be reviewed several times in succession and, therefore, memorized quicker than usual.

The described measures will enhance the readability and usefulness of the health information piece, ensuring that its reader will be able to take the actions necessary to combat the manifestations of rhinitis (at least the basic ones) without the involvement of a healthcare specialist. In turn, the flow of the disease may be less severe. In case of mass distribution of the enhanced brochures, the overall health level of the nation can improve to a certain extent due to the increased accessibility of useful information on the treatment of rhinitis.