There is a good evidence base in the literature for the use of written patient information in healthcare settings to enable patients to retain information concerning procedures and treatments following initial consultations. A number of tools exist to help in the design of written patient information. These include checklists such as the Department of Health Toolkit for Producing Patient Information, EQIP and DISCERN tools, readability scores such as the Flesch-Kincaid Formula and Flesch Reading Ease score, as well as cultural sensitivity scores. These tools are presented and their possible role in dental primary care discussed.
Clinical relevance: The tools provided here will enable clinicians to develop a better standard of patient information literature concerning procedures and treatments on offer.