Enhancing Patient Comprehension through Simplified Medical Terminology: A Literacy-based Approach

Abstract

The research analyzes the impact of using simplified medical terminology on the comprehension of
patients, focusing on those with low health literacy. The study uses a comparative literacy-based approach
with a controlled setting on different patient groups using traditional and simplified terminology. We
employed NLP techniques to deidentify complex medical records and obtained patient comprehension
through feedback as well as post-consultation surveys. The results demonstrate a statistically significant
improvement in patients’ understanding and recall when simplified terminology is used. The research
results support the use of simplified terminology in communication with patients to enhance
understanding and to improve health outcomes.