Health Literacy: An Analysis of Childhood Cancer Family Guidebooks

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of family medical handbooks distributed during childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment in promoting personal health literacy. After conducting a literature review on literacy, health literacy, and clear communication, an analysis was completed to determine how closely three childhood cancer advocacy organizations used health literacy concepts in developing their handbooks. The three handbooks analyzed are from the American Childhood Cancer Organization, Children’s Oncology Group, and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Utilizing the Center of Disease Control’s (CDC) “Simply Put: A guide for creating easy-to-understand materials,” the three handbooks were analyzed to see if they met the benchmarks in four categories. This analysis assessed message content, text appearance, visuals, and layout and design.