The CDC Clear Communication Index | The CDC Clear Communication Index | Centers for Disease Ccntrol and Prevention

The CDC Clear Communication Index | The CDC Clear Communication Index | Centers for Disease Ccntrol and Prevention

The CDC Clear Communication Index (Index) is a research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.

• The Index has 4 introductory questions and 20 scored items drawn from scientific literature in communication and related disciplines.
• The items represent the most important characteristics that enhance and aid people's understanding of information.

Everyday Words

Everyday Words for Public Health Communication[282KB, 44 pages]offers expert recommendations from CDC's Health Literacy Council and other agency communicators on how to reduce jargon and replace problematic terms in order to improve real comprehension.

Example Material

We’ve provided a few examples of the materials we tested with descriptions of what we changed.

• Healthcare-associated Infections
• National Violent Death Reporting System
• Thimerosal

More

Resources

• Clear Communication Index User Guide
• Full Index Score Sheet[694 KB, 7 pages] 
• Modified Index Score Sheet[685 KB, 7 pages]

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why was the Index developed?
• Who should use the Index?
• How does the Index work?
• How long does it take to use the Index?
• Is the Index only for print consumer and patient materials?