About Advocating Global
A blog designed to support globally minded communication professionals with insight into the global communication strategies that lead to desired behavior and positive end-user outcomes. We write and invite experts to write in about global communication topics in healthcare, corporate communications and marketing, as well as best practices in localization and process management.
Our topics may vary, but our focus is always on the advocacy for the communications professional; to empower them with the tools and best practices to be a global leader and make a difference in the outcomes of the end-user.
Healthcare Communications Blog
Our Healthcare Communications Blog is intended for healthcare professionals, employee benefit managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to get a better understanding of the role that translation plays in the healthcare industry. We work in fields of Managed Care, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Clinical Trials (Surveys), Open Enrollment and Employee Benefit Communications in the United States. While we focus a lot on hot topics like Spanish translations and the Hispanic population, there is also an increasing pressure to provide patient, member or employee communications in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and other emerging languages. This puts the pressure on healthcare communication managers to be proficient in understanding how to deal with translation, localization and culture in the healthcare translations field.
With this blog, we intend to make every manager in the healthcare industry a little more globally minded and therefore, a better advocate for the foreign language end user
Testing for Spanish Readability
Health Literacy Writing in English uses various strategies to drive certain desired patient behavior. Just like in English writing, measuring the impact of Spanish translations of Plain Language or Health Literacy written communications is more than just obtaining readability score. What readability models are available in Spanish and what can health organizations do more to enable comprehension in Spanish?
Understanding Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scores
We typically use the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K) method to test the grade levels of Plain Language writing for Medicaid/Medicare compliance. Flesch-Kincaid scores can easily be obtained in programs like MS Word and are accepted by all States with recommended testing methods....
Health Disparities and Adherence Infographic
Health Disparities and Medication Adherence are directly affected by providing Culturally Competent Care. Healthcare Translation Services play a big role in this care as healthcare communications provide a bridge between the patient and the healthcare provider. As...
Culturally competent care affects adherence
In our work with the translation of healthcare communications and health literacy awareness trainings, we consider culture as part of the language and see how culturally competent care affects adherence. Culture is a way of living, thinking, and behaving. Culture...
Could Prescription Discount Programs Drive Further Hispanic Patient Engagement?
Prescription Discount Programs are an alternative way for many uninsured or under-insured Americans to get lower cost prescription drugs. Many of these discount programs are just a few years old, but the potential to reach a large Hispanic audience is likely going to be a growth strategy. In this post, we’ll look at these programs, what role they might play in the growing Hispanic Health Population and how they might even play a role in driving Hispanic Patient Engagement.
A Study on Healthcare Terminology
Download our White Paper on healthcare terminology This white paper on healthcare terminology used by health plans is prepared for professionals in the healthcare communication industry, translation industry and benefit consultants. In preparation of the new Open...
A Study in Healthcare Terminology – Conclusion
Healthcare communications in the United States have been translated in a very decentralized way. Read the conclusion in our 4-part study on Spanish healthcare terminology and see our recommendations for moving forward.
A Study in Healthcare Terminology – Part 3
By bringing the different glossaries together into one overview, we get an idea of the consistency and quality of the information in Spanish that is being produced by these major healthcare organizations. Part 3 explores the variability of terminology.
A Study in Healthcare Terminology – Part 2
The Healthcare Industry by nature complicates the process of unification of Spanish terminology in healthcare translations. Part 2 of the research in Healthcare Terminology looks at how organizations are making their Spanish translations available, and we look at how productive these resources are.
A Study in Healthcare Terminology – Part 1
In preparation of the new Open Enrollment season, we looked at the state of healthcare terminology for the Hispanic population in more detail. Part 1.