01 the business
Children's and maternity hospital
300 leaflets, patients speaking 40 languages
Leaflets are written in clinical language and only a few are translated. Updates take months to reach every version. Families leave with instructions they struggle to follow.
02 before
The problem
Many patients struggle to understand medical instructions, especially after discharge or before a procedure. Leaflets are written in clinical language, translations are slow and costly, and updates take months.
- Leaflets are hard to read.
- Few translations exist, and they lag behind updates.
- Versions drift out of date.
03 the build
What the AI does
- Step 1: Starts from your approved clinical leaflets and instruction templates.
- Step 2: Rewrites them at a reading level you choose, with short sentences and clear steps.
- Step 3: Translates them into the languages your patients speak most.
- Step 4: Keeps the clinical content identical to the approved source and marks every change for review.
- Step 5: Publishes approved versions to your patient portal or print templates, with version dates.
paused: waiting for a person to approve
How it was put together
- Started from approved clinical leaflets and templates.
- Rewrote them at a chosen reading level with clear steps.
- Translated them into the most-spoken languages.
- Linked every version to its source so updates flow through.
04 human in the loop
Where a person stays in charge
A clinician approves every plain-language version and every translation before use, ideally with a native speaker reviewing translations.
- Clinicians approve every plain-language version and translation.
- Native speakers review translations where possible.
- Clinical content must match the approved source.
05 rollout
From kickoff to live in 6 weeks to first batch
- Weeks 1–2Choose the 30 most-used leaflets and target languages.
- Weeks 3–6Rewrite, translate and review the first batch.
- OngoingAdd leaflets monthly and update versions when sources change.
06 after
What changes
Patients receive instructions they can follow, in their language. Updates reach every version quickly because the source and its versions are linked.
Assume 300 leaflets, each costing 4 hours of clinician and writer time to rewrite by hand, against 1 hour to review a draft.
300 × 3 hours saved = 900 hours, before counting translation costs.
What to measure
- Leaflets available in plain language and each language.
- Time from source update to all versions updated.
- Patient understanding checks.
- Calls asking to explain instructions.
07 evidence
What the research says
Only 12% of US adults had proficient health literacy; 36% had basic or below basic health literacy.
Around 1 in 10 patients is harmed in health care, and more than half of that harm is preventable.
World Health Organization, Patient safety fact sheet (opens in a new tab) · 2023
08 lessons
Mistakes to avoid
- Changing clinical meaning. Simplify words, not advice.
- Skipping translation review.
- Unlinked versions. They drift out of date.
09 questions
Common questions
- Why plain language?
- The US national assessment found only 12% of adults had proficient health literacy.
- Can it personalise instructions per patient?
- It can fill approved templates with appointment details, but clinical content stays as approved.