Tijdschrift voor Taalbeheersing - Volume 45, Issue 1, 2023

Do you get it? Mixed-method monitor for government communications

On behalf of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Taalunie, the University of Utrecht and the Arnhem-Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences have jointly measured the comprehensibility of government texts. The unique aspect of this study is the combination of three methods: automatic text analysis (LiNT), check interviews (conducted by government communication professionals), and reader surveys (involving readers with different backgrounds and reading abilities). The study provides insight into comprehensibility, applicability and perception of government texts. Over 70 government organizations submitted texts about payment or healthcare that citizens encounter, either on paper or online, during their interactions with the government. The study shows that at least 30 percent of the Dutch population has difficulty understanding and applying the information in the majority of the texts. Unexpected information or an inappropriate tone of voice often led to a negative perception. Here, we show that the combination of research methods is methodologically effective, due to their complementary nature and practical applicability.

“May cause drowsiness – I might get a rash or something?”

Qualitative research on the comprehensibility of drug label instructions and the role of health literacy

Drug labels instructions are physically attached to each package dispensed to patients and consist of dosage instructions (e.g., ‘Take two capsules twice daily’), auxiliary warnings (e.g., ‘Do not drink alcoholic beverages’) and advices (e.g., ‘Take with food or milk’). They are often misinterpreted which may lead to incorrect drug use. The wordings of instructions are a cause of such misinterpretation, especially for people with limited health literacy. In a qualitative study, we explored pharmacy visitors’ interpretations of drug label instructions and their opinions on potential improvements. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 pharmacy visitors with limited and adequate health literacy. They received seven drug label instructions and explained them in their own words and demonstrated how much and how often they would take the drugs on a timetable. Although pharmacy visitors were able to explain dosage instructions, they often made mistakes in demonstrating them, especially those with limited health literacy. Medical jargon (e.g., ‘drowsiness’) and difficult words (e.g., ‘maximum’) lead to misinterpretations, especially among pharmacy visitors with limited health literacy. When optimizing drug label instructions, a trade-off must be made between the comprehensibility and the nuance of instructions.