Creating an information leaflet assesses your ability to communicate with patients or doctors effectively. It presents complex ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand format for a specific audience. Leaflets typically serve two purposes:

• Helping patients manage their health and decisions.
• Guiding doctors on managing specific medical conditions.

Planning Your Design

Before creating your leaflet, consider the following:

• Requirements – Read the module activity guidelines thoroughly.
• Aims – Define what you want to communicate.
• Audience – Keep your target audience in mind throughout the design and writing process.

Format

You may use any program to create your leaflet, though Microsoft Word is recommended. Mac users may find Pages useful. Most programs offer preset leaflet layouts, but you are not required to use them. A three-column (tri-fold) format is generally recommended.

Text

• Keep the information clear and concise.
• Unless specified, the word limit is 500 words.
• Use an easy-to-read font (Arial or Calibri recommended).
• Subheadings, bullet points, and lists improve readability.
• Ensure information is up-to-date and based on best practices.
• Include a reference list at the end, not counted in the word limit.

Images and Graphs

RULE 1: Content is the most important part of your leaflet.

RULE 2: Visuals should enhance, not distract from, your leaflet.

Relevance: Only use images that support your content.

Size: Ensure the main focus is clear and distractions are minimized.

Resolution: Use high-resolution images to prevent blurriness.

Referencing: All images must be properly referenced.

Guidance for Including Graphs

• Provide a short, clear heading.
• Label axes clearly.
• Avoid unnecessary gridlines.
• Ensure plot lines are easily distinguishable.

Colour

Careful colour selection enhances readability. Overuse can cause confusion. For guidance, visit:

Canva Color Wheel

Further Information

For patient information leaflets, additional guidance is available at:

NHS Shetland - So You Want to Write a Patient Information Leaflet?

Marking Rubric

Grade	Content & Evidence Base	Communication / Target Audience Appropriateness	Structure & Organisation	Visual Design & Layout
Distinction	Comprehensive, evidence-based critically apprasied content with excellent coverage of all required topics Excellent balance of depth and accessibility, evidencing a clear understanding of clinical priorities	Excellent clarity for the target audience Highly effective communication of key messages	Clear, logical flow with excellent information hierarchy Highly effective categorisation of information	Excellent visual appeal with professional-quality design and integration of visual elements
Merit	Strong evidence-based content with good coverage of required topics Good balance of depth and accessibility evidencing a clear understanding of clinical priorities	Very clear for the target audience Clear explanation of terms with effective communication of key messages	Clear, logical flow with good information hierarchy Clear categorisation of information	Good visual appeal with a clean design and good integration of visual elements
Pass	Adequate evidence-based content with basic coverage of required topics Reasonable balance of depth and accessibility evidencing basic understanding of clinical priorities	Generally clear for the target audience Adequate explanation of terms with basic communication of key messages	Basic logical flow with adequate information hierarchy Adequate categorisation of information	Basic visual appeal with functional design, and basic integration of visual elements
Fail	Poor evidence base with incomplete topic coverage Inappropriate depth and accessibility with limited understanding of priorities	Unclear for target audience Inadequate explanations and ineffective communication	Poor logical flow with confused hierarchy Disjointed progression and poor categorisation	Poor visual appeal with little attention to design or integration of elements