Description: Useful articles about writing for the web and science communication
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not easy writing medical information in plain English . So congratulations to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and The Cochrane Collaboration , runners-up in the Plain English Campaign’s 2011 web awards .
The Cochrane Collaboration was recognised for its Cochrane Summaries website , a beta site that provides evidence-based overviews of medical conditions and treatments for a lay audience. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust provides information about the condition for patients and carers.
Of the two, the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust website is much more user-friendly , although Cochrane’s beta asthma portal shows promise. There are one or two sentences on the Jo’s site that I felt could be clarified further – not everyone will understand what is meant by ‘the doctor or nurse will put a number of different solutions on the cervix’, for example – but overall it has a comprehensive, reassuring and sensitive tone of voice.