In critiquing the educational leaflet based on case study A 14 year old female experiencing juvenile chronic arthritis, there are a range of strengths and limitations that will be discussed.

Readability is very crucial to be achieved in an educational leaflet; Doak states that “the lower the reading level, the more likely that the information can be understood by a large proportion of the public” (1996; p166). Taking into consideration that the leaflet is targeted at a young age group, there is a minimal use of terminology and the information is simple to read and comprehend.

Relevant information is provided in relation to the main issue of the leaflet, the support programs are enjoyable as well as helpful for the condition specified. Water therapy is known to be an excellent treatment for arthritis. Arthritis Research UK (1998 - 2011) suggests that hydrotherapy eases arthritis pain, improves strength and circulation. The case study reveals that the client used to swim regularly but has now given up this activity. Therefore, providing useful programs that interest the reader could be a way to motivate them to return to participating in this activity.

The leaflet illustrates coping strategies, statistics as well as a case study of a teenager dealing with the same condition. This would raise awareness for the reader as they would recognize that there are many other individuals in the same position.

The contacts page is a vital element of a leaflet as it should provide useful information. The leaflet has included phone numbers, websites and email addresses. This can be seen as sufficient amount of contact information that teenagers would require. Having the address would not be necessary to include in this leaflet as the target reader would not necessarily post letters to the support programs nor would they attend the programs without initially obtaining more information. The internet has become all pervasive in the lives of young people. A study found that 73% of teenagers reported using the internet daily (RedOrbit, 2005). Therefore the internet is a very accessible resource for teenagers and in relation to the target reader of the leaflet, they could research the websites provided to find out what they can expect from the organisation.

However, it can be argued that there is a lot of information to read and this could lead to the leaflet appearing dull and uninteresting. In terms of language, particular phrases such as “self reliant” may be too sophisticated for the reader understand. If the reader is eager to join in a particular program, it can be unclear to know which contact details are for which program. Thus this would lead the reader feeling confused and having to do own research to find out more about the programs.

The layout of the leaflet is well structured and there is a consistency of the size and style of the font. The leaflet is attractive and eye-catching with easy to read information. There is a good choice of colour scheme which would attract both genders. The main colours used are blue, black and white which represent the activity of swimming and relate to the client’s interests. Although a limitation is that there could have been a more variant use of colours to make the leaflet look more attractive and outstanding.

There is a good use of pictures on every page of the leaflet that are meaningful and relevant to the main issue as they are of teenagers participating in activities. This could grab the attention of the client as it is known that she had an interest in swimming therefore this may attract her to the leaflet. Another limitation is that the picture on the front page of the leaflet may cause difficulty in being able to read the statement, if read from distance. The size of the font may need to be larger as it may be difficult to read from distance.

The leaflet is fully suitable for the client as the main issue has been addressed and the leaflet is well designed in terms of layout, readability and content.

Section B word count: 875

Reference list:

Arthritis Care (2011). About Arthritis and How will it affect me. Available at:

http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/LivingwithArthritis  Accessed on [22 November 2011].

Arthritis Research UK (1998 - 2011) Hydrotherapy, How effective is hydrotherapy? Available at: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis_information/arthritis_therapies/hydrotherapy.aspx#non. Accessed on [22 November 2011].

Centre for Health Information Quality. About CHiQ. http://www.hfht.org/chiq/about_chiq.htm. Accessed on: 9 March 2004.

Doak CC, Doak LG & Root JH (1996). Teaching Patients with Low Literacy Skills. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

RedOrbit (2005). More Teens Using the Internet Study Finds. San Jose Mercury News, Calif. Available at: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/190545/more_teens_using_the_internet_study_finds/index.html  Accessed on [22 November 2011].