Environmental Scan: Language in Health Journals - March 16, 2026

I reviewed Are Plain Language Summaries Published in Health Journals Written According to Instructions and Health Literacy Principles? A Systematic Environmental Scan by Gainey et al. (2024). The purpose of this environmental scan was to assess whether plain language summaries, published in health journals, follow journal author instructions and align with health literacy principles such as readability and use of plain language.

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 The researchers reviewed 26 health journals and analyzed 53 plain language summaries to evaluate compliance with journal guidelines and the readability of the summaries for public audiences.

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Article Here

The researchers used a multi-part approach that assessed the frequency of PLS inclusion, compliance with author instructions, and readability using health literacy tools which is looked at as a strength. This approach provides a detailed understanding of how well health research is currently being translated into accessible language for the public.

One limitation of the scan is that it only included English-language journals, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the scan evaluated readability and compliance with instructions but did not assess whether readers understood or used the information in plain language summaries.

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        This article is relevant to my health promotion project focused on health literacy and patient understanding after hospital discharge. The findings highlight that even when health information is made available to the public, it may still be written at a level that is too complex for many people to understand. This reinforces the importance of designing health communication strategies that improve accessibility and comprehension of health information.

Gainey, K., Smith, J., McCaffery, K., Clifford, S., & Muscat, D. (2024). Are plain language summaries published in health journals written according to instructions and health literacy principles? A systematic environmental scan. BMJ open, 14(11), e086464. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086464