Writing in Plain Language

290.3.1 - Writing in Plain Language (Rev. 1274, Issued: 06-29-07, Effective: 07-01-07, Implementation: 10-01-07) The following are some tips to help MACs to write letters in plain language: • Include definitions or explain terms you must use that are not familiar with your intended audience. • Use heading, subheadings, or other devices to signal what's coming next. Labels for sections, headings, and subheading should be clear and informative to the intended audience. • Write in an active voice and in a conversational style. For example, conversational style uses contractions (I'd instead of I would) and informal vocabulary (find out instead of determine). • Use a friendly and positive tone. • Use words that are familiar to your intended audience. Shorter words tend to be more common, and they are generally preferable. For example, use doctor instead of physician. Pay back instead of reimburse. Can get instead of eligible. There are exceptions. For example, access is a short word, but it is health care jargon that is hard for many consumers to understand. Organization is a five-syllable word, but is probably familiar to most readers. • When a term is best known to your intended audience by its acronym, use the acronym and spell out the word that it represents in parenthesis with the letters that form the acronym in bold. For example: PCP (Primary Care Provider). • Be on alert for words that are abstract or vague, or that may mean different things to different people. Replace these words with more specific words to be sure your readers understand the key messages. • Keep your sentences simple and direct. Most should be reasonably short; about eight to ten words per sentence for most sentences. When sentences are long, the main point gets lost in all the words. Active voice makes the style more direct. • Vary the length of your sentences. Somewhat longer, natural-sounding sentences of about 12 to 15 words can effectively break up the choppy effect of using many short sentences. • Paragraphs should be relatively short. Short paragraphs are more inviting to your reader and give the visual appearance of being easier to read. • Use simpler words rather than technical terms whenever you can without losing the content or distorting the meaning. Sometimes it's important to use a technical term, such as the words mammogram, or cholesterol. • Appearance should be appealing at first glance. Pages should be uncluttered with generous margins and plenty of white space. • The graphic design should use contrast, indentation, bullets, and other devices to signal the main points and make the text easier to skim. • Use a large type and spacing between lines.