It’s been a while since I read about it, but if I remember correctly it’s roughly the level medication directions are written in. Simple, direct language that’s hard to misinterpret. People at that reading level can read levels above it, but struggle to comprehend it.
That kind of seems like the responsible thing to do with medications regardless, remove any possible ambiguity. I can read well above these levels and when I create standard operating procedures I attempt to do the same thing. Clear, concise, repeatable, and limit jargon as much as possible. A network admin, system admin, help desk person, or someone fresh off the line might need to follow them one day and I can’t assume they have the same foundational knowledge or environmental familiarity that I do. What I do is also a lot less important and has a far narrower reach than medication.
Used to work at ATT. They used a goddamn dictionary tool for their abbreviations. And some were used for five things or more. You had to read them in context to differentiate. A damn nightmare.
It’s been a while since I read about it, but if I remember correctly it’s roughly the level medication directions are written in. Simple, direct language that’s hard to misinterpret. People at that reading level can read levels above it, but struggle to comprehend it.
That kind of seems like the responsible thing to do with medications regardless, remove any possible ambiguity. I can read well above these levels and when I create standard operating procedures I attempt to do the same thing. Clear, concise, repeatable, and limit jargon as much as possible. A network admin, system admin, help desk person, or someone fresh off the line might need to follow them one day and I can’t assume they have the same foundational knowledge or environmental familiarity that I do. What I do is also a lot less important and has a far narrower reach than medication.
Used to work at ATT. They used a goddamn dictionary tool for their abbreviations. And some were used for five things or more. You had to read them in context to differentiate. A damn nightmare.