Busy nursing faculty seldom have the opportunity to provide in-depth resources related to the development of written materials. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged the challenge of developing effective and appropriate written materials by developing a toolkit available at http://www.cms.gov/WritternMaterialToolkit. The toolkit focuses on writing and designing materials for readers from varied age groups, diverse cultures, and educational backgrounds; determining readability levels; developing materials for the Internet; and a specific Toolkit for Culturally Appropriate Translation. The CMS reports that the toolkit is intended for care providers, agency staff, community organizations, and family or friends to create written materials to be used by people eligible for or currently enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The toolkit provides detailed resources including information related to the font sizes suitable for various age group; design; layout; color; choosing, using, and evaluating readability formulas; recommendations for methods of translation and communicating with translators; and strategies for collecting and analyzing reader feedback, as well as a wealth of evidence-based information in one place on the Internet. Students who have been assigned client, family, caregiver, or community teaching activities will find this resource helpful. Faculty will enjoy reviewing teaching and learning strategies and refreshing various teaching skills.

Source: CMS publishes toolkit for making written material clear and effective. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ANRQ)Daily Digest Bulletin. October 29, 2010. Available at http://www.ahrq.gov/. Accessed October 29, 2010.

Submitted by: Robin E. Pattillo, PhD, RN, CNL, News Editor at [email protected].