Do you need a patient or consumer resource audit?

Patient and consumer resources need to be regularly updated to remain engaging, relevant and accurate, as clinical practice and treatment guidelines change. Older resources may contain outdated or insensitive information, wording or imagery that can isolate and reduce trust among patients and consumers.

Patient and Consumer Health Resources

Patients deserve health information written by someone who understands both the science and the experience of living with illness, not a machine.

I am a Sydney-based health and medical communication consultant specialising in patient and consumer health resources for Australian healthcare organisations, research institutes and not-for-profits serving patient, carer and consumer audiences.

When it comes to patient and consumer resources, the gap between clinical accuracy and accessibility is where most content fails. With 20 years of scientific expertise and lived experience with a chronic condition, I create clear, empathetic and evidence-based health content for diverse audiences — including priority populations, NDIS users and patients navigating the healthcare system.

Every resource I produce is grounded in the most current peer-reviewed research, correctly cited and written to the appropriate health literacy level for your audience, so your content is accurate and usable for the people it's designed for.

I also ensure that the tone, branding and health literacy level of your resources align with your organisation's strategy and style, creating consistency and building user trust and engagement.

The lived experience difference

There's something that scientific literacy and writing expertise alone can't replicate: knowing what it feels like to be the patient.

I have 30 years of lived experience with a chronic condition — placing me among the 49.9% of Australians living with at least one chronic health condition, according to the most recent ABS National Health Survey (1).

That experience informs everything I write for patient and consumer audiences. It's the difference between content that is technically correct and content that is genuinely resonant; that makes a patient feel seen, understood and equipped to take the next step in managing their health.

I combine that lived experience with a scientific background and specialist writing expertise to deliver health and medical content for patients and consumer health content with a genuine understanding of their perspective, not just their diagnosis.

Audiences I write for

Complex health information and medical research mean nothing to a patient if they can't understand it — or if it doesn't speak to their experience.

I translate evidence-based clinical and scientific information into clear, accessible, empathetic messaging for the audiences who need it most, including:

Patients and carers managing acute and chronic conditions
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
NDIS users and people living with disability
Patients, consumers and carers who are navigating the healthcare system for the first time.

Health resource services

I produce a full range of patient and consumer health resources, including:

Patient information ebooks, guides, brochures and fact sheets
Consumer websites and digital content
Carer resources and support materials
Condition-specific education resources
Plain-language summaries of clinical research
Health literacy assessments and content audits
CALD and culturally adapted health resources
NDIS-related information and support health content.

Who I work with

My clients include government health agencies, healthcare organisations, healthcare not-for-profits, patient advocacy groups, research institutes and universities. They engage me because they understand that high-quality patient and consumer health content requires more than good writing.

It requires:

A strong scientific background: to critically interpret and accurately translate clinical evidence.
Cultural sensitivity and health literacy expertise: to effectively reach diverse audiences without compromising accuracy.
A patient perspective: to ensure content connects emotionally as well as informationally
Knowledge of relevant guidelines and regulations: including AHPRA and the TGA Advertising Code.

If your organisation needs patient and consumer health content that is accurate, accessible and genuinely empathetic, I'd love to discuss your project.

Ready to commission or update your patient resources?

Get in touch

Light bulb held in hand in front of a ssunset. Melissa Waine provides communication expertise for health, medical and scientific ideas and projects to bring them to life.

A patient resource book for heart health, titled "Protect your Heart", designed and written by Melissa Waine for the Heart Foundation.

CT, Senior Healthcare Programs Manager, NFP

I had the pleasure of working with Melissa as the content writer for a complex health-related project and I am very pleased with the result. Melissa navigated the complexities of the project while remaining flexible to our evolving needs. Her attention to detail was evident in her work that she passed back to us ahead of schedule. I would be very happy to recommend her to anyone looking for a writer who is efficient, knowledgeable and easy to work with.

*Chronic conditions are non-communicable diseases or long-term health conditions that can cause adverse health effects, including disability and premature death, and are a significant global and national health burden.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What are patient or consumer resources?

A. Patient or consumer resources – such as articles, brochures, blogs, online education modules, ebooks, emails, fact sheets, patient handbooks and website articles – educate patients or consumers and help foster long-term trust and engagement.

These resources must understand the target audience, involve an appropriate health literacy level, be accessible and avoid alienating the target audience with an overuse of medical jargon.

Q. What are the goals of patient or consumer resources?

A. By educating, engaging and building trust, patient or consumer resources contribute to positive experiences with healthcare services and healthcare practitioners. This, in turn, contributes to a higher client retention rate, improved treatment compliance and better healthcare outcomes. Win, win, win.

As a human health and medical copywriter, I have empathy and an understanding of your patient or consumer audience, unlike robotic, AI-generated copy.

Q. When is a patient or consumer resource audit needed?

A. Patient and consumer resources need to be regularly updated to remain engaging, relevant and accurate. Clinical practice and treatment guidelines change as new data emerges and the evidence base grows.

As well as changes in healthcare practice, older patient resources may contain outdated or insensitive information, wording, content or imagery. Each of these issues can isolate and reduce trust among patients and consumers – exactly the opposite of engaging them.

The tone may be inappropriate, insensitive or even offensive to its target audience.
The language might use a condescending tone and offensive terminology instead of a strengths-based approach that is patient-centred.
The language might be outdated or gendered.
The language and imagery might not be culturally safe.
The resources might not cater to CALD groups whose first language is not English or respect cultural sensitivities.
The resources might not be location-specific or may not cater to those in rural and regional areas who have limited access to assumed healthcare services and professionals.
The organisation’s objectives, tone of voice or style might have changed, and this needs to be reflected in updated resources.

I have experience auditing and creating new patient and consumer resources for each of these scenarios.

Q. What health literacy level should patient resources be written at?

A: Most patient-facing health content should be written at approximately a Year 8 reading level (age 13–14), though this varies depending on the specific audience. For CALD communities, Indigenous peoples or NDIS users, additional adaptation for cultural safety, language accessibility and access context is essential.

Q. What is a patient resource audit?

A: A patient resource audit is a systematic review of existing patient-facing content to assess whether it is clinically current, written at the appropriate health literacy level, culturally safe, compliant with relevant guidelines (such as AHPRA and TGA), and consistent with your organisation's current tone and brand. I provide audit reports with prioritised recommendations and, where needed, rewrite or update resources to bring them up to standard.