Use numerals
Numbers are important in healthcare— they represent times of appointments, amounts of medication, and the cost of services. Because numbers are so important, there are many tips about how to explain numbers easily in a health context. My biggest tip is to use numerals.
I often get a reaction from clients when I recommend using numerals instead of spelling out small numbers. And I get it! It goes against what we’re taught about English grammar. I can hear my high school English teacher telling me to spell out numbers less than 10. That lesson is deeply ingrained in many of us. While we can use that grammar rule in different settings, we should think differently when we are writing in a health context.
Why?
It’s easier to spot a numeral when you are skimming a document. People with low health literacy skills and people who are busy are likely to skim a document or skip over words. Numerals stand out among words and skimmers can spot them more easily.
Numerals are a “common language” between some languages, like English and Spanish. A numeral may be more recognizable than a number spelled out for people learning English.
While it takes some time to go against such a common grammar rule, it can make a huge impact in promoting health literacy.