Simply, Simplify.
Teach a man everything to teach him nothing.
My friend Marcus
We know that from an average health professional consultation most people can recall very little of what's been communicated.
What is remembered might be the most important thing the health professional wants the client to leave with, but, it also may not be.
How can messages be understood and recalled?
Simplify.
Occams Razor is a problem-solving principle attributed to William of Occam (c. 1287 -1347). The idea states that "other things being equal, simpler explanations are generally better than more complex ones".
Long winded jargon, stats and specifics.
Facts, figures and specific details are great for providing evidence, detailing specific points or demonstrating knowledge, but more often than not, the client walks away thinking "what just happened?".
Visuals are engaging and memorable.
The affect of weight loss on blood glucose levels in people with T2DM.
A 5% weight loss from baseline weight has favourable glucose and metabolic affects.
A 10% weight loss can bring blood glucose to target levels.
Essential Information and Advice.
Not everything has to be covered in one session. The essential, most relevant information and suggested changes need to be prioritised.
The question "If my client walks out of the room and does one thing...what would that that be" will assist with distilling the message.
Simple Guidelines rather than Complex Rules
Elegant in it's simplicity. A plate model of how much protein, carbohydrate and vegetable proportions to put on a plate.
Messages can be as simple or as complex as:
For each message, the simple explanation is understood and remembered easier
Simplifying messages improves understanding and recall of information.
The way of presenting the message both verbally and with written materials can be simplified, simply by simplifying it.
My next blog is titled "Design Thinking Diabetes and Diet".