Plain Language Health Resources

California Literacy, Inc., suggests you talk to your doctor to make sure the information in this Resource Center is right for you.

Health Problems and Diseases

AIDS/HIV
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/hiv-aids-etr.htm
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/aids.html

Alcohol Abuse
http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/en-alcohol.htm
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/alcohol-etr.htm
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/0000/0011.asp?index=3909
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/handout.htm (how to quit drinking)
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochure.htm (dangers of drinking when pregnant)

Arthritis
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/arthrtis.html
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/autoimmune-etr.htm
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/arthritis-etr.htm
http://www.seekwellness.com/arthritis/index.htm#a

Asthma
http://www.universalcare.com/california/healtheducation/health_ed_brochures.asp
(click on asthma & allergy)
http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/Files/pdf/EngAst.pdf
http://www.nlhp.cpha.ca/Labels/seniors/english/p42.htm
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ps/asthma/harvard%20asthma%20brochure.pdf

Birth Control
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/brthcon.html
http://www.vrri.org/plpregnt.pdf

Chemotherapy
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/helping-yourself-during-chemotherapy

Children
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medchld.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/shots.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/poison.html
http://yourchildshealth.echn.ca/hsc/echn.nsf/pages/pframe

Cholesterol
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/cholesterol-etr.htm

Cold and Flu
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/clds&flu.html

Depression
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/depress-etr.htm
http://www.vrri.org/pldeprss.pdf
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolstory01.cfm

Digestion Problems (Constipation/Gas/Lactose Intolerance)http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/whyconst/whyconst.htm
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas_ez/index.htm (gas)
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/whymilk/index.htm
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/eatright/index.htm

Diabetes
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/diabetes.html
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/diabetes-etr.htm
http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/ControlABC_broch_Eng.pdf
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/eztoread.htm#dia
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/about/dateline/wint03/12.htm
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/ez.asp (Spanish)
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_kidneys/index.htm
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/index.htm
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/eating_ez/index.htm#affects
http://www.vrri.org/pldiabts.pdf
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_control/index.htm#1

Diet and Nutrition
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/folic-etr.htm
http://www.umass.edu/nibble/
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/hlyheart.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/eatage.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/foodsfe.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.html
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/NCR559.pdf

Domestic Violence
http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/Files/pdf/EngDomV.pdf

Drug Abuse
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/Drug-etr.htm

Heart
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/hlyheart.html
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/heartdis-etr.htm
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/

Hepatitis
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/hepatitis-etr.htm

High Blood Pressure
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/chdblack/protect.htm

Kidneys
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/kidney-etr.htm http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/eatright/index.htm#how
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_kidneys/index.htm
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stones_ez/index.htm

Medicine
http://www.fda.gov/womens/taketimetocare/mymeds.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medchld.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medold.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medsafe.html

Menopause
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/elpaso/menopausefact.htm
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/menopause_ez/index.htm

Multiple Health Topics
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/alpha-index.htm
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/englow.html
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/ndic.htm
http://www.planetreesanjose.org/easy_to_read_resources/
http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/eng.html

Obesity and Weight Loss
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/obesity-etr.htm
http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1041814212957WhyShldILoseWeight.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/weightls.pdf
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/NCR560.pdf

Osteoporosis
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/osteopor-etr.htm

Pregnancy and Caring for Your Baby
http://www2.cdc.gov/ncbddd/faorder (why folic acid is important during pregnancy)
http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/en-famplan.htm (family planning)
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/feedbby.html
http://ww2.choicemall.com/aprendopress/
http://www.hispanichealth.com/efotonovela2.pdf
http://www.hispanichealth.com/sfotonovela2.pdf (Spanish)
http://www.hispanichealth.com/pana.htm (Spanish)

Prescription Medications
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medsafe.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/medold.html

Sexually Transmitted Diseases
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/gono-etr.htm
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/syphilis-etr.htm

Stress and Anxiety
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/0000/0069.asp?index=4606
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Publicat/NIMHgad.pdf

Taking Care of Your Teeth
http://www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov/cgi-bin/ohpubgen_new (some materials have a charge) http://www.nidr.nih.gov/health/pubs/snaksmrt/main.htm
http://www.ncfh.org/pateduc/en-teeth.htm

Tobacco/Smoking
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/lowlit.htm
http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/Files/pdf/EngSmok.pdf

Types of Cancer

Breast Cancer
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/mammo.html
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/MScanlon2/index.htm
http://www.cancerinfonet.org/english/consumers/gp_mod5.htm

Cervical Cancer
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/ccervix.htm
http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/Mary/marypg1.html
http://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/doc.aspx?viewid=10ac5067-8217-47b4-a009-570bb4961eae

Colon Cancer
http://www.cancerinfonet.org/english/consumers/gp_mod8.htm

Lung Cancer
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/easyread/smoking-etr.htm
http://www.cancerinfonet.org/english/consumers/gp_mod7.htm

Oral Health and Cancer
http://www.nohic.nidcr.nih.gov/campaign/threegoodreasons.htm

Ovarian Cancer
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Easyread/ovarian-etr.htm

Prostate Cancer
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/prostate_ez/index.htm
http://www.cancerinfonet.org/english/consumers/gp_mod6.htm

Skin Cancer
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/sunsafty.pdf

Easy-to-Read Materials to Help Patients Understand

Cancer InfoNet
This site was designed to teach both consumers and health care providers about online cancer resources, basic internet skills, and credible cancer Websites. Updated and easy-to-read cancer information is provided particularly for underserved communities.
http://www.cancerinfonet.org

Center for Medicare Education: 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors
Medical errors are one of the Nation's leading causes of death and injury. Government agencies, purchasers of group health care, and health care providers are working together to make the U.S. health care system safer for patients and the public. This fact sheet tells what can be done to prevent errors. http://www.medicareed.org/Resources.cfm?RT=Pub&Detail=387

Healthy Mothers Have Healthier Babies with Folic Acid: Emma's Story
Limited quantities of the publications are available free of charge. This new booklet, entitled "Healthy Mothers Have Healthier Babies with Folic Acid: Emma's Story," is available in both English and Spanish and is written at a 6th grade level. This educational booklet tells the story of a wife and husband who are planning for pregnancy and learn the importance of taking folic acid before she is pregnant, throughout her pregnancy, and every day. Users may also browse through a variety of topics. http://www2.cdc.gov/ncbddd/faorder

Healthy Roads Media
This site contains free audio, written, and multimedia health education materials in a number of languages. The materials are organized by health topics from “Abuse” to “Smoking.”
http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/eng.html

Lister Hill Library Internet MEDLINE Training Site: Consumer Health Information
Links to non-English and low-literacy materials are provided.
http://lib-sh.lsumc.edu/fammed/pted/pted.html

Massachusetts General Hospital: Consumer Health Reference Center "Non-English Language & Health Literacy Resources"
This is a directory of websites offering easy-to-read health education materials in English and a number of other languages. This website is no longer being updated. http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/library/chrc/noneng.html

Medline Plus
Users can search the Medline Plus database of easy-to-read health information in plain language. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/easytoread/easytoread_a.html

Michigan Adult Learning & Technology Center: Health Literacy
This website provides a bibliography of health literacy materials, as well as a list of sources of easy-to-read patient education materials, plus a list of sources for clip-art. Most of these materials must be ordered.
http://www.malt.cmich.edu/healthlit.htm

Oregon Health and Science University: Patient Education Resources for Clinicians
This resource of the Oregon Health and Science University offers handouts for low-literacy patients. http://www.ohsu.edu/library/patiented/links.shtml#lowlit

PlaneTree Resource Center: Easy-to-Read Health Links
PlaneTree and health literacy partners, Vision Literacy and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, are developing this easy-to-read section. Some of these Easy-to-Read Links are part of the extensive Interactive Tutorials from the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINEplus. The new interface for these interactive tutorials can assist adult new readers who are learning to search online. This work is supported in part by an outreach contract to Vision Literacy from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region (Region 7).
http://www.planetreesanjose.org/easy_to_read_resources

United States Food and Drug Administration: Easy-to-Read Brochures
This is part of the FDA web site and contains a collection of 21 easy-to-read brochures--in English and Spanish on topics such as eating well, arthritis, AIDS, and clinical trials. All brochures are available for download in PDF format and many are available in print form from the FDA.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/7lowlit.html

University of California at San Francisco: Health Information Handouts
This site offers health information handouts that have been used at the UCSF homeless clinic. It provides links to low-literacy handouts that were developed at this clinic.
http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~hclinic/handouts.dir/handouts.html

Vermont Commission on Women: Managed Care and You
This easy-to-read guide has information about how to choose a good managed care health plan, and how to use the services they offer.
http://www.women.state.vt.us/documents.html

Women's Health: Take Time To Care Campaign, My Medicines Brochure
Available in many languages, the "My Medicines" brochure is the centerpiece of the 1999 Women's Health: Take Time To Care Campaign. Use this easy-to-read pamphlet and medicine-tracking chart to learn more about taking medicines correctly.
http://www.fda.gov/womens/taketimetocare/mymeds.html

Westchester Library System: Firstfind.info
This site contains some easy to find, easy-to-use health information. Some of the material is in plain language.
http://www.firstfind.info/default.html

Sites that Charge for Easy-to-Read Materials

Beginnings Guides
Learn about easy-to-read and understand teaching and learning guides for parents of children ages 0 to 3. Books are for purchase.
http://www.PrenatalEd.com/evaluate.htm

California Family Health Council, Inc. (CFHC)
This site offers easy-to-read and helpful patient education and professional materials. Visitors to the site may purchase materials from a selction of over 50 client field-tested and professionally reviewed books, videos, and health education pamphlets. Many materials are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, as well as nine other languages. Click on "Publications."
http://epa.cfhc.org

Channing L. Bete Company
The Channing L. Bete Company is an educational publisher that produces plain language brochures on a variety of health and public health topics. Many brochures are available in both Spanish and English.
http://www.channing-bete.com

Patient Education Institute: X-Plain Tutorials
X-Plain are interactive multimedia tutorials published by the Patient Education Institute. Each interactive tutorial includes text, graphics, animations, full narration, and questions with immediate positive feedback. Each tutorial is accompanied by a reference summary with illustrations that can be printed out. http://www.x-plain.com

Stanford University: Stanford Nutrition Action Program (SNAP)
The goal of the Stanford Nutrition Action Program (SNAP) was to design a curriculum that would address nutrition issues and stimulate reduction of dietary fat. The SNAP curriculum combines interactive teaching techniques and behavior change methods to successfully teach and stimulate the interest of low-literate, low-income populations to overcome barriers to reducing fat.
http://hprc.stanford.edu/pages/store/itemDetail.asp?28