PICCK offered a no-cost Media Inclusivity Consultation Service to any contraceptive care provider or practice affiliated with a Massachusetts birth hospital. This state-wide service aimed to address the need for materials that are easy to navigate, welcoming, and inclusive to all genders, people of all sizes, people of all literacy levels, and in multiple languages. Although PICCK is no longer actively working with hospital partners and offering the Media Inclusivity Consultation Service, you can learn more about making patient-facing materials inclusive and accessible in our Patient Education Materials Toolkit.
What WAS the Media Inclusivity Consultation Service?
The Media Inclusivity Consultation Service reviewed patient-facing materials to assess how they could be improved to be more inclusive and accessible. The PICCK team reviewed websites, pamphlets, intake forms, and other patient-facing written materials. We also offered a secret shopper assessment of call center or reception protocols. Materials were assessed for gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, ability, and size inclusivity; as well as language accessibility for those with low health literacy (most US adults). Upon review of the materials, the PICCK team proposed practical recommendations for improvement.
Why WAS this service needed?
Having materials that are inclusive and accessible is important to ensure a practice is welcoming to all people. Without inclusive materials, people may not feel welcomed or confident that they will be heard and understood if they seek contraceptive services. This can prevent patients from receiving the care that they need and cause negative health outcomes. It can be challenging to recognize if media excludes groups of people, especially since exclusion is often unintentional. The Media Inclusivity Consultation Service critically assessed patient-facing materials to support practices in increasing access to care.