Summary summaries for simple language can give you the authority to participate in your own care

When doctors talk to each other about scientific research and medical discoveries, it can sound like they are talking about a different language. As a patient, you may think: “This is all Greek for me!” And it could be just as good.

When scientists publish their research results, do not write for you and me. You write for each other. They share a secret language that is usually only open to those who have advanced scientific training or carry out comprehensive experience in the implementation of research.

The average consumer in the healthcare system is not part of this club. That can be okay if you are healthy. You can pick up the latest medical news if your favorite television transmitter or mainstream messages cover you.

However, if you have a complicated illness or try to get a diagnosis, you may need the details. The density used in scientific studies can make it impossible to understand research. That can be more than just an inconvenience. It can keep them in the dark about their own condition or treatment options.

Summaries The plain text (PLS) are reports that translate complex data and science writers into daily English, which everyone can understand.

In the spirit of easily digesting complex ideas, you should know the following about summaries of the clear language.

What is a simple language summary?

A simple language summary (PLS) is a short, easily understandable summary of a scientific article or a study that is usually published in scientific or medical magazines.

PLS transform complex information into easy -to -read content, whereby terms that cannot record experts take over. It is like having someone who is really good at explaining things to understand a complex science.

Why do we need simple language summary?

Scientific research studies are usually examined by experts, which means that other experts in the specific research area check the study and decide whether it is high quality and is worth publishing. It is a hurdle that scientists have to survive before they can publish their work. And that helps to explain why these studies are so difficult to understand. They are not written to be clear to an average person. They are aimed at an audience of other experienced scientists.

You may have thought that you had left science behind when you ended the school. You may not have believed it if your science teacher wanted to convince you that one day you would use your lessons in real life.

But maybe you or a loved one have a serious illness, or you want to understand a new vaccine. Perhaps you have symptoms that your doctor cannot explain and you wish you could get to the bottom. Now suddenly they want them to pay more attention in science lessons. At least you could admit that your science teacher may have been right that understanding of science in everyday life can be useful.

PLS are the bridge between the complex, detailed science behind medical research and discoveries and the rest of us – which may not have loved the science class or have held a lot back. Please provide non -scientists to understand research that can be directly relevant for their health.

Without summaries of language, the patients are at the mercy of their doctors and other experts. If you are someone who likes to understand what is going on or who wants to do some of your own research, PLS is a gift. They offer you access to information that could otherwise only understand experts, e.g. B. a decoder ring or a foreign translator.

With the rise of AI, it is now easy to obtain complex information at the same time. But there is a catch: Not all AI editions are trustworthy. Some AI tools make things out. You can refer sources that do not exist or are not applicable. You could look convincing and sound, but you should imagine trusting these summaries too much. They will undoubtedly become better, but in the meantime PLS are created by trustworthy expert sources and can be more reliable summaries of research.

Who are simple language summary for?

PLS are for everyone: patients and regular health consumers and health service providers (HCPS). HCPs may have special training courses and more knowledge of medical topics than normal people, but they are often busy and appreciate a quick summary, especially if it is in an area outside of its regular practice area.

As a patient, we may never know as much as our HCPs – and some of us don’t want to know as much as they do. It helps to be able to trust the specialist knowledge of our HCPs. However, PLS helps to bring the patients with their HCPs to a more even field. They allow the patient to ask good questions and make really well -founded decisions about our own care.

How to find and read a summary of the clear language

Not all studies have a companion, and PLS can be difficult to find because there is no standard for where and when they need to be published. However, PLS is increasingly than one way of exchanging scientific knowledge with the public. The Cochrane Collaboration, a global network of health researchers and experts, publishes reviews of medical research that evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions based on published studies. It now publishes a PLS in addition to every rating. You may also find PLS on the journal’s website that the study published. A study by PLS showed that PLS could be in a link or a separate tab on a website or in separate channels such as social media platforms or a separate website in the article.

This educational resource was created with the support of Sumitomo Pharma, a healthy member of the company.