The EFPIA patient-centred communication guide urges pharmaceutical companies to adopt plain language, improve health literacy, and develop more accessible patient information that supports informed healthcare decisions across Europe.
The EFPIA patient-centred communication guide introduces a new framework aimed at reshaping how pharmaceutical companies communicate with patients and caregivers. Published by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the guidance encourages companies to replace complex medical language with clear, accessible information that enables people to better understand their treatment options and participate more actively in healthcare decisions.
The publication comes at a time when patient engagement is becoming an increasingly important part of healthcare delivery. Regulators, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies are placing greater emphasis on ensuring that patients not only receive medical information but can also understand and use it effectively. The EFPIA patient-centred communication guide reflects this shift by presenting practical recommendations that move beyond regulatory compliance and focus on improving the overall patient experience.
Rather than introducing new legal requirements, the guide serves as an industry resource for developing patient-facing materials that are easier to read, more inclusive, and better aligned with the varying levels of health literacy seen across different populations. The recommendations are intended for use throughout the lifecycle of patient communication, including educational materials, medicine information, digital resources, and support programs.
According to EFPIA, strengthening health literacy has become an essential element of improving healthcare outcomes. Patients who understand their diagnosis, treatment plans, and medication instructions are generally better positioned to participate in shared decision-making and follow prescribed therapies. For pharmaceutical companies, clearer communication also supports stronger relationships with healthcare providers, patient organizations, and regulatory authorities.
The guide is organized around four key themes: improving health literacy through plain language, establishing principles for patient-focused communication, providing practical implementation strategies, and encouraging coordinated action across the healthcare ecosystem.
EFPIA Patient-Centred Communication Guide Prioritizes Health Literacy and Plain Language
A central message throughout the EFPIA patient-centred communication guide is that effective healthcare communication begins with health literacy. The document defines health literacy as an individual’s ability to locate, understand, evaluate, and use health information to make informed decisions about personal care. While health literacy is influenced by education, language, and healthcare access, the guide emphasizes that pharmaceutical companies also have an important responsibility in making medical information easier to understand.
To support this objective, EFPIA identifies plain language as one of the most effective tools available to improve patient understanding. Instead of relying on highly technical terminology, patient communications should explain medical concepts using familiar words while maintaining scientific accuracy. The guide references internationally recognized plain language standards, noting that information should be relevant, easy to locate, simple to understand, and practical to use.
The recommendations extend beyond writing style. Companies are encouraged to structure information in ways that help patients quickly identify the most important messages before reading supporting details. Logical headings, organized layouts, tables, illustrations, and infographics are recommended to improve readability and information retention.
Another important recommendation involves the presentation of numerical information. Medical statistics, treatment risks, and clinical outcomes can often confuse patients when expressed only as percentages or complex probability figures. The guide therefore encourages presenting numbers in clearer formats, using whole numbers where possible and expressing information through frequencies that are easier for patients to interpret.
Visual communication also receives considerable attention. The guidance highlights the value of symbols, diagrams, pictograms, videos, audio resources, and interactive digital tools in helping patients understand complex medical information. These approaches may be particularly beneficial for individuals with lower health literacy, language differences, or cognitive challenges.
Accessibility is another major focus area. Patient materials should be designed for individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive impairments by incorporating subtitles, transcripts, compatibility with assistive technologies, and design practices that improve readability across multiple formats.
The guide further recommends maintaining consistent terminology throughout all patient-facing materials. Standardized templates and approved glossaries can reduce confusion while helping patients receive the same information regardless of where or how they access educational resources.
Pharmaceutical Companies Encouraged to Strengthen Patient Engagement While Managing Regulatory Risks
Beyond communication principles, the EFPIA patient-centred communication guide provides practical recommendations for embedding patient-focused communication throughout pharmaceutical organizations. The document encourages companies to invest in staff training, establish terminology databases, and provide writing tools that help employees consistently apply plain language principles across patient materials.
The guidance also promotes greater involvement of patients and patient representative groups during the design and review of educational content. Rather than consulting patients only to satisfy minimum regulatory expectations, EFPIA recommends involving them throughout the development process to ensure materials reflect real-world information needs and are understandable for diverse audiences.
Digital technologies are identified as another opportunity to improve patient communication. Mobile applications, QR codes, multilingual resources, personalized content, and real-time information updates can expand access while supporting more interactive healthcare experiences. However, the guide emphasizes that technological innovation should always be accompanied by clear, accurate, and patient-friendly language.
For multinational pharmaceutical companies operating across Europe, the document highlights the importance of maintaining plain language during translation. Translators should receive sufficient flexibility to adapt wording, tone, and cultural references while preserving the intended meaning and readability of the original material.
The publication also addresses several legal and compliance considerations. EFPIA warns that patient materials should never be interpreted as promotional content or create pressure for individuals to request specific treatments. Information must remain consistent with approved prescribing information, scientific evidence, and publicly available regulatory documents.
To reduce potential misunderstandings, the guide recommends including clear disclaimers stating that educational materials are intended to support, rather than replace, discussions with qualified healthcare professionals. Maintaining a neutral tone is considered essential for preserving trust while meeting regulatory expectations.
The guide also examines the growing use of generative technologies in medical content development. While acknowledging that digital writing tools may improve efficiency and support plain language initiatives, EFPIA cautions that automated systems can introduce factual inaccuracies, omit important clinical context, or misinterpret medical terminology. For this reason, the organization recommends that all content generated with technological assistance undergo review by medical experts and plain language specialists before publication.
The release of the EFPIA patient-centred communication guide reflects a broader transformation taking place across the pharmaceutical industry. As healthcare systems increasingly recognize the importance of patient engagement, communication quality is becoming a strategic priority rather than simply a regulatory obligation. Companies that deliver clear, accessible, and trustworthy information may be better positioned to strengthen patient confidence, improve treatment understanding, and support more informed healthcare decisions across diverse populations.
Ref: https://www.osborneclarke.com/insights/efpia-launches-guide-improve-sectors-patient-communications
