The experts weigh in:

OVERALL

DR. ALEX FEDERMAN, PROFESSOR, ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: “What are the best practices for communicating information in print? Lots of white space, simple ideas expressed on a single line, no run-on sentences, information clearly grouped together.”

DR. ERIC SCHNEIDER: “If we thought about the visit as a co-planned use of time, the patient would say what they want to put on the list, the provider would say what they want to put on the list, and together important.” they’d choose the most

TOP

FEDERMAN: “We did some research with patients, and we learned that at the very top, they didn’t want a crowded header— they wanted to know who their doctor is, who they saw, what number to call when they need something.”

TO DO LIST

SCHNEIDER: “The No. 1 element is what the next steps are, whether that’s changing a medication or making an appointment with somebody else or buying something from the drugstore. That should be front and center.”

DR. FARZAD MOSTASHARI, CEO, ALEDADE: “It’s important to have anticipatory guidance—if this happens, then do that.”

FEDERMAN: “People want actionable steps and concrete instructions.”

VITAL SIGNS

FEDERMAN: “This kind of surprised us: People wanted to see their weight and their blood pressure.”

MEDICATION LIST

FEDERMAN: “This is something that many of them do carry around with them, that they’ll bring with them on a visit to a doctor. They wanted to see the brand and the generic names, and they wanted to see what the medication is for. ... Often you’ll see a list of current meds and a separate list of meds to start and to stop. Patients confusing.” find that very