Bringing science to consumers: Designing appropriate health education materials

Consumers are taking an increasing role in their own health care and have expressed a desire for timely health information presented in a clear, concise format. Women have requested unbiased information about all products that are available to treat some major health conditions. The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Women's Health (OWH) has designed new health education materials to meet these needs. OWH produced seven Medicine Charts that list all FDA-Approved products for depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, menopause, smoking cessation, HIV, and contraception. The charts give vital information such as brand and generic names, general safety warnings, tips for medication compliance, and questions to ask a health care provider. OWH also added to its collection of fact sheets that provide information at a glance for women and their families. All fact sheets are available for the first time in English and Spanish, and cover health topics and FDA regulated products including cosmetics, heart disease, flu shots, contact lenses, and mammography. OWH worked with scientists across the agency to ensure that the new language was scientifically accurate. The content and layout were also revised based on focus group testing with consumers.