Enhancing accessibility: supporting patients with dyslexia in understanding hospital appointment letters

Background: Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the UK population (British Dyslexia Association, 2025). Individuals with dyslexia encounter significant barriers in healthcare due to complex and unsuitably formatted medical documentation (Bradley, 2023). These barriers can induce visual stress and confusion, undermining the principles of patient-centred care that promote patient engagement (Pilnick, 2022). Without adapting medical communication to specific accessibility needs, healthcare providers cannot fulfil the ethical mandate of an inclusive approach (Dowell et al, 2016).

Method: A scoping review was conducted to identify best practices for accessible medical communication for dyslexic patients. Data were synthesised from peer-reviewed articles and grey literature from reputable healthcare and dyslexia organisations, focusing on formatting and linguistic interventions aligned with patient-centred models.

Results: The review highlighted that adopting dyslexia-friendly communication is crucial for equitable patient care. Key recommendations include use of sans-serif fonts, increased line spacing, left-aligned text, simplified language, and avoidance of complex medical jargon. These adaptations reduce anxiety and improve engagement for dyslexic patients. However, financial constraints, lack of standardised templates, and administrative resistance present barriers to implementation. Healthcare organisations must address these systemic challenges to ensure accessibility becomes embedded practice.

Conclusions: Adopting dyslexia-friendly communication is fundamental to delivering equitable patient-centred care. Healthcare providers must balance the initial costs of redesign against the long-term clinical benefits of improved health literacy and patient engagement. Future initiatives should focus on standardised, co-designed templates developed in partnership with dyslexic patients to ensure that accessibility becomes a sustainable baseline for all medical correspondence.