Medical plain-English editing: accessible healthcare information for everyone

This post is the first of two articles about plain English. The second article gives several examples of how plain-English editing can be applied to medical writing to make it clearer and simpler.

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Medical information is often written for specialist audiences, using terminology and structures that assume clinical knowledge. When that same information is read by patients, the public or non-specialist professionals, it can become difficult to interpret. Complex terminology, dense sentence structures and abstract phrasing can obscure meaning rather than clarify it.

Medical plain-English editing addresses this problem by helping ensure that healthcare information is accessible, accurate and appropriate for its intended audience. The aim is not to oversimplify or dilute content, but to present it in a way that supports understanding.

The challenge of medical jargon

Medical terminology serves an important purpose in professional communication, but it can act as a barrier for non-specialist readers. Terms such as myocardial infarction, metastasis or idiopathic are precise and efficient for clinicians, but unfamiliar to many patients and members of the public.

When technical language is used without explanation, readers may misunderstand key points, disengage from the information or feel intimidated by it. This can affect how people interpret diagnoses, treatment options and health advice.

What plain-English editing involves

Plain-English editing focuses on helping readers understand and absorb information more easily. In a medical context, this involves careful editorial judgement rather than simple substitution of terms.

Key aspects include:

Clarifying language

Unnecessary jargon is reduced, explained or replaced where appropriate. Sentences are often restructured to be more direct, while essential technical terms are retained when they are needed for accuracy.

Improving structure and flow

Information is organised logically, with clear progression from one idea to the next. Longer passages may be broken into shorter sections, supported by headings or lists where this improves readability.

Reducing ambiguity

Vague or abstract phrasing is identified and clarified so that the reader can interpret the information consistently and correctly.

Preserving accuracy

Simplification does not mean loss of precision. Plain-English editing works within the constraints of medical accuracy, often in consultation with subject-matter experts, to ensure that meaning is preserved.

Why plain-English editing matters

Using clear, accessible language in healthcare contexts has several important benefits:

Supporting informed decision-making

When people understand health information, they are better placed to engage with it, ask questions and make informed choices about their care.

Improving communication

Clear writing supports better communication between healthcare professionals and patients, reducing the risk of misunderstanding and confusion.

Increasing accessibility

Plain-English editing can help make information more accessible to people with varying levels of health literacy, including those for whom English is not a first language.

Promoting health literacy

Presenting information clearly supports broader health literacy, enabling people to understand and use health information more effectively.

Final thoughts

Medical plain-English editing plays an important role in ensuring that healthcare information is clear, accurate and accessible. By reducing unnecessary complexity and focusing on the needs of the reader, it helps bridge the gap between specialist knowledge and public understanding.

In healthcare communication, clarity is not an optional extra – it is essential. Plain-English editing supports that clarity while respecting the complexity of the subject matter.

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A note on terminology: The terms medical copyeditor, medical proofreader and medical editor are often confused and used interchangeably. To add to the confusion, there are yet other terms used for different niches such as plain-English editor, medico-legal copyeditor and editorial assistant (the latter is commonly used in medical communications). I personally use medical editor to describe my role, and medical editing to describe both medical copyediting and medical proofreading, as this suggests a hybrid approach as per my own clients' preferences ... plus, it's simpler! See here for more detail on the traditional differences between proofreading and copyediting.

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Plain-English editing is a specialist editorial skill. If you need an editor to turn your complex medical text into plain language, please get in touch.