Health Literacy Writing & Editing
Helen Osborne helps organizations write in ways readers can understand. As a plain language writer and editor, Helen brings writing skills, health literacy expertise, clinical background, and patient perspective to all projects. These include:
- Plain language materials for average readers
- Websites for the general public
- Reference materials for professionals
Organizations can contract with Helen on an hourly or project basis. Some groups work with Helen on a retainer basis in which each commits to a certain number of hours per year. Contact Helen to discuss ways she can help you clearly communicate your health message. You can reach her by email at Helen@healthliteracy.com or call 508-653-1199.
Plain language materials for average readers. Plain language is more than just using short words. It also includes setting a tone, organizing concepts, and using formats that readers can relate to and understand. Here are examples of projects Helen has written or edited:
- Chemotherapy and You: Support for People with Cancer, published by the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health. Winner of a "Gold" Plain Language Award from the National Institute for Health, 2008.
- Radiation and You: Support for People with Cancer, published by the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health. Winner of a "Gold" Plain Language Award from the National Institute for Health, 2008.
- Surgery Choices for Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer, published by the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health. Winner of an "Honorable Mention" Plain Language Award from the National Institute for Health.
- Taking Time: Support for People with Cancer and the People Who Care About Them, published by the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health. Winner of an "Honorable Mention" Plain Language Award from the National Institute for Health.
- Amputee Coalition of America's Easy Read Materials. Helen "translated" most of these articles from their original version into plain language.
Websites for the general public. Beyond managing all aspects of her Health Literacy Consulting and Health Literacy Month websites, Helen helps other organizations with theirs. For example, she edited all the consumer pages of the website for the Massachusetts Health Quality Partners.
Reference materials for professionals. Helen often writes about patient education and health communication. She is in her ninth year as columnist for the Boston Globe's On Call magazine for allied health professionals. In addition, Helen is author of several books including the award-winning Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message. Her latest resource is the Health Literacy Month Handbook: The Event Planning Guide for Health Literacy Advocates.
Helen is a long-term member of the American Medical Writers Association as well as its New England Chapter.
"Thank you so much for your help with this project. You really pushed us to deliver a much much better product and I've only heard extremely good feedback about your 'value add .'"
Micky Tripathi, President and CEO
Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative
