| Course | HCA 130 Healthcare Writing and Communications |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Plain language paper |
| Length | About 1,036 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Health Care Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 130 Module 3
Say It So Patients Can Use It: Rewriting a Fasting Blood Test Handout in Plain Language
Student Name
Health Care Administration Program, Aspen University
HCA 130: Healthcare Writing and Communications
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Say It So Patients Can Use It: Rewriting a Fasting Blood Test Handout in Plain Language
Plain language is writing that the intended reader can find, understand and use the first time they read it. For patients, it can decide whether they arrive prepared for a test or have to reschedule. This paper applies plain language techniques to a composite clinic's handout on preparing for a fasting blood test, shows the original and revised text, explains each technique and describes how the clinic tested the result with patients.
The Problem
The clinic noticed that about one in ten patients scheduled for fasting blood work arrived having eaten, so their tests had to be repeated. The handout they received read like a laboratory policy. Patient education materials often read this way; when researchers scored 100 handouts drawn from sources clinicians use at the point of care, the averages sat between roughly grade 8.6 and grade 10.2 (Stossel et al., 2012), above what many adults read comfortably.
The Original Handout
The original handout said: Patients scheduled for lipid panel and/or fasting plasma glucose determination are required to maintain NPO status, with the exception of water, for a minimum of 8-12 hours prior to specimen collection. Medications should be taken as prescribed unless otherwise directed by your provider. Failure to comply with fasting requirements may necessitate rescheduling. Its readability score placed it near the 14th grade.
Plain Language Techniques
The rewrite used techniques from federal plain language guidelines: address the reader as you, use short sentences and common words, put the most important action first, use headings phrased as questions, use lists for steps and define any necessary technical term (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011). The goal was not to simplify the content but to make the same content usable.
Line-by-Line Rewrite
The table compares key lines.
| Original | Plain language |
|---|---|
| Patients scheduled for lipid panel and/or fasting plasma glucose determination | Your blood test checks your cholesterol and blood sugar |
| Maintain NPO status, with the exception of water | Do not eat or drink anything except water |
| For a minimum of 8-12 hours prior to specimen collection | Stop eating at 9 p.m. the night before a morning test |
| Medications should be taken as prescribed unless otherwise directed | Take your usual medicines with water unless we told you not to |
| Failure to comply may necessitate rescheduling | If you eat, the test will not be accurate and we will need to do it another day |
The Revised Handout
Getting ready for your blood test. What is this test? It checks your cholesterol and blood sugar. What do I need to do? Do not eat or drink anything except water after 9 p.m. the night before. You can drink as much water as you like. Take your usual medicines with water unless we told you not to. What if I have diabetes? Call us before your test; we may change your medicine that morning. What if I eat by mistake? Call us. We will find a new time. Questions? Call the number below.
Why a Clock Time Works Better
The original said 8 to 12 hours, which asks patients to calculate backward from an appointment time they may not remember. The revision gives a clock time for morning appointments, which is when the clinic schedules fasting tests. Specific instructions are easier to follow than rules that require arithmetic.
The Diabetes Question
The original did not mention diabetes, even though fasting can cause low blood sugar in patients taking insulin or some diabetes pills. Staff had been answering this question by phone. Adding it as a heading made the handout safer and reduced calls. Plain language is not only about shorter words; it also means answering the questions readers actually have.
Readability Before and After
Readability formulas estimate difficulty from sentence and word length. The original scored near the 14th grade and the revision near the 5th. Formulas are only a rough guide, since short sentences can still use unfamiliar words, so the clinic also tested the handout with patients.
Testing With Patients
Five patients waiting for appointments read the revised handout and were asked three questions: when to stop eating, whether they could drink coffee and what to do if they took diabetes medicine. All five answered the first two correctly; one was unsure about the diabetes instruction, so the phrase call us before your test was moved to the top of that section. Testing with real readers finds problems that formulas miss.
Spoken Instructions and Teach-Back
Staff also explain the preparation when scheduling. They now use teach-back, inviting patients to describe the plan back, for example, Tell me what you will do the night before your test, rather than asking whether they understand. A systematic review found teach-back effective in 19 of 20 studies, improving outcomes from knowledge recall to health results (Talevski et al., 2020). Written and spoken instructions reinforce each other.
Results
In the three months after the new handout and teach-back were introduced, the share of patients who arrived having eaten fell from about one in ten to about one in 30. Fewer tests had to be repeated, which saved patients a second trip and saved the clinic laboratory time.
Other Formats
The clinic also made the handout available in Spanish, translated by a qualified translator and checked by a bilingual staff member rather than by software alone. A short version was added to the appointment reminder text: No food after 9 p.m. the night before. Water and your usual medicines are OK. Matching the message across formats helps patients who read only one of them.
Keeping the Handout Current
A plain language handout still needs upkeep. The clinic dated the revised handout and assigned the laboratory lead to review it each year or whenever testing rules change. Old copies were removed from exam rooms so patients would not receive two different sets of instructions.
Conclusion
Plain language turned a policy statement into instructions patients could follow. The rewrite used short sentences, everyday words, question headings, a clock time and an answer to the diabetes question. Testing with patients and adding teach-back confirmed that readers understood. The same approach can be applied to any document written for patients.
References
Plain Language Action and Information Network. (2011). Federal plain language guidelines. https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/
Stossel, L. M., Segar, N., Gliatto, P., Fallar, R., & Karani, R. (2012). Readability of patient education materials available at the point of care. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(9), 1165-1170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2046-0
Talevski, J., Wong Shee, A., Rasmussen, B., Kemp, G., & Beauchamp, A. (2020). Teach-back: A systematic review of implementation and impacts. PLOS ONE, 15(4), Article e0231350. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231350
Reading the HCA 130 Module 3 assignment instructions
The HCA 130 description stresses communication specific to health care fields, and since Aspen releases module instructions only inside the course, a plain language rewrite fits that emphasis. Plain language assignments usually ask you to take a piece of patient material, rewrite it for a general audience and explain your changes. Some require a readability score before and after. Check whether your prompt supplies the original text and whether it limits length or grade level. Choose material with real consequences if misunderstood, such as test preparation or medicine instructions, so your explanation can show why clarity matters for safety and not only style. Quote the original exactly so graders can compare it with your version.
How the HCA 130 Module 3 example is put together
This sample holds about 1,025 words in sixteen sections, including a five-row comparison table and the full revised handout. It starts with the clinic's problem and evidence on hard-to-read materials, quotes the original handout and names the plain language techniques. The table compares key lines, and the revised handout follows in full. Sections explain the clock time and the added diabetes question, compare readability scores, report testing with patients and describe teach-back. Results, a Spanish version with a matching text message and a yearly review close the case. A margin note explains why the techniques are named before the table. Results are reported as the change in unprepared arrivals over three months.
Reading the HCA 130 Module 3 grading rubric
Plain language assignments are generally judged on the quality of the rewrite, the explanation of techniques, accuracy of content and use of evidence. The rewrite here keeps every instruction from the original while making each usable. Techniques are named and tied to specific lines. Content accuracy shows in the added diabetes guidance, which answers a safety question the original missed. Evidence includes federal plain language guidelines, a readability study and a systematic review of teach-back, each in APA reference form. Graders also reward testing the rewrite with readers, since formulas alone do not prove understanding. Keeping the full rewrite in the paper also lets graders judge it directly.
HCA 130 Module 3 help from the desk
A frequent mistake is shortening text by cutting needed information, so the rewrite is simpler but less complete. Keep every instruction and make it clearer. Students also rely only on readability scores; test your version with a reader if you can. Another gap is ignoring the questions patients actually ask, such as what to do about medicines. Use headings phrased as questions and lists for steps. If you want help choosing a document to rewrite or checking whether your version still covers everything, our tutors can compare it with the original alongside you. Read your version aloud to a friend and ask what they would do. Keep technical terms only when patients will hear them again, and define them.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HCA 130 Module 3 questions, answered
What does HCA 130 Module 3 usually ask for?
The HCA 130 description covers communication specific to health care, so rewriting patient material in plain language is a typical assignment. Check your Aspen classroom for the prompt.
What is plain language?
Writing that the intended reader can find, understand and use the first time they read it, using short sentences, common words and a clear order.
What is teach-back?
A check in which the patient restates the plan, so staff can hear what was understood and fix any gap on the spot.
Where can I find a free HCA 130 Module 3 sample paper?
On this page. The plain language paper above includes the original handout, the comparison table and the full rewrite, open to any reader. It is sample three of eight for HCA 130.
How is plain language different from dumbing down in HCA 130 Module 3?
Plain language keeps all the content but makes it easy to find, understand and use; it removes barriers to meaning, not the meaning itself.