Health Information from MSK Cancer Experts

Our Health Information Policy

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) wants to help you learn, be supported, and be ready to take the next step in your care. We share our cancer care information online so you can make the best choices about your care.

MSK is among the world’s most respected centers for cancer care and research. We provide expert cancer care to adults and children.

This page explains why you can trust our cancer care information, as well as how we gather and write this information.

When you read MSK’s health information, you can expect it to be:

• Easy to understand, to follow, and to act on. Here’s how we do this:
  • We try to write at a 6th to 8th grade reading level.
  • We try to limit our sentences to 8 to 10 words.
  • We write the way people talk. For example, we use contractions, such as you’re (you are).
  • We use words with 1 or 2 syllables (SI-luh-buls) when we can. (The word “best” has 1 syllable, for example, while “better” has 2 syllables.)
• For all of us. Our information is for people of many races, cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and education levels.
• Correct, based on scientific evidence, and reviewed by MSK cancer experts.

We follow best practices in health literacy

There are 2 kinds of health literacy:

• Personal health literacy is how well a person can read, understand, and act on health information.
• Organizational health literacy is when an organization (group) makes it easier for people to find, understand, and use health information and services.

We keep both types of heath literacy in mind when we write. Health literacy can affect whether you follow a treatment plan or take your medicine the right way. Low health literacy is linked to poor health results, such as more hospital stays and emergency care.

Here are some ways we improve your health literacy:

• We define complex words. Here’s an example: Some chemotherapy can cause nausea (feeling like you’re going to throw up) and vomiting (throwing up).
• When helpful, we offer phonetic spellings. Phonetic spelling is when a word is written the way it sounds. For example, “kee-moh-THER-uh-pee” for chemotherapy.

Our method 

MSK has a team of health education specialists, writers, and designers who work together to make new content. Our process is based on evidence from research for best practices in writing health information. We also work with other MSK experts, such as doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. They make sure our health information is correct and up to date.

Adding new health information

We’re always adding to our health library. We make new content if:

• Our patients ask for the information.
• Our healthcare providers ask for ways to help patients learn about their care.
• We see many people are searching the internet for cancer information we do not have.
• There’s a new cancer treatment or procedure, but we do not have information about it.

Reviewing our health information

We make sure our information is updated and correct. We ask experts to review the content at least every 3 years. Sometimes we ask them to review it earlier when we add information about a new treatment or procedure. We change our review schedule if we need them to review health information right away.

We measure our reading levels

Before we publish health information, we measure how easy it is to read. We use these standard tools:

SMOG: We check the reading level using this tool. Some medical words are long and complex, but we must use them to write about cancer care. We explain what the complex words mean so people can understand them.

When we measure the reading level, we swap complex medical words with a short, simple word. At MSK, we always try to make it easy to get to health information.

PEMAT: We use this tool to make sure our patient education materials are actionable and understandable. Actionable means you can use them to make choices or take the next step in your care. Understandable means they’re clear and easy to follow the first time you read them.

Translations

We translate our health information into many languages. MSK cancer guides are translated into Spanish. Information in our Patient and Community Education library is translated into Spanish, Russian, and Simplified Chinese. These are the languages preferred by our patients.

We also translate into any language a patient asks for. We have health information in more than 25 languages.

External links

Sometimes we link to information we trust on other websites. Examples are government or medical society websites. We use these links to make it easy for you to learn more. MSK does not endorse these websites and we are not in charge of their content.

Our Team

Medical reviewers:

Our experts are responsible for making sure all our health information is correct. Our experts include MSK doctors, nurses, advanced practice providers, clinical dietician nutritionists, and social workers. They’re experts in the subject we ask them to review.

Health education specialists:

MSK has a team of experts in researching and writing about health information. They have a higher education degree and training in the best ways to offer patient education.

They create our resources based on evidence from research and health literacy best practices. They make sure our content is easy to understand by people from many cultures and education backgrounds.

Writers:

They explain complex health topics in words patients and caregivers can easily understand. They work closely with experts to make sure our information is clear and correct. Writers follow MSK’s style guide for grammar and tone.

Creative artists:

Our designers and creative artists make illustrations, videos, and infographics to help to explain complex ideas. They make sure we welcome people from all kinds of backgrounds and that they can access our resources.

Patient Education Committee:

Our health information for MSK patients and their caregivers is guided and reviewed by our Patient Education Committee. Members include our:

• Health education specialists
• Healthcare providers
• Current or former MSK patients and caregivers
• Members from our Patient and Family Advisory Council for Quality (PFACQ)

The committee meets on a regular schedule to review new and updated resourcesbefore we add them to our library. They also review education resources made by other groups. Examples are drug companies, device makers, and health non-profit groups.

Our online health information can help you learn about a cancer care topic, for you or a loved one. But it’s not medical advice about care you may need. Please see your healthcare provider if you’re worried about a health problem.

MSK employees must report each year if they have a conflict of interest. This includes our medical reviewers, health education specialists, and writers.