Making Science Make Sense
Scientific breakthroughs only matter if people can understand them.
Social Health Research helps healthcare organizations translate complex science into clear, useful information people can trust. We work with biotech and pharma companies, medical device innovators, patient advocacy organizations, and healthcare educators to make sure people hear about new therapies, diagnostic tests, and devices, understand, and that they’re meaningful to the people who need them the most.
Making Science Meaningful
Healthcare information should empower patients, not overwhelm them.
Yet most materials are written at a level far above what many people can understand.
The average American reads at about an 8th-grade level, and health literacy is even lower, closer to a 5th- or 6th-grade level. Despite this, most medical content is written at a 10th-grade level or higher. That’s where we come in.
SHR closes that gap by distilling complex medical information into clear, plain language, making it easier to understand, remember, and use.
-
Whenever Possible at SHR We:
-Remove scary-sounding jargon
-Replace technical terms with plainer words
-Use relatable analogies to help explain
-Draw pictures, create graphs and age-appropriate step-by-step explainers
-Knit together stories, music, and poems to boost understanding and help people remember what they’ve learned
-
Did you know that humans are hard-wired to learn through stories? That's how we acquire and retain new information the best.
Also, people don’t experience illness as a list of facts or datapoints; they experience it as a personal journey.
When complex medical information is shared through stories, it becomes easier to understand, remember, and act on. Stories help patients see themselves in the information, lessen their fears of the unknown, and build trust with their care teams. Stories also help scientists share how they came up with their research ideas, how they tested it to make sure it works and is safe, and how it helps patients.
-
Imagine being told you have a serious illness, you're so shocked you can't process what you've been told, and you're handed a stack of papers or directed to a website filled with terms, data, and unfamiliar concepts. It's scary and overwhelming instead of helpful. SHR creates patient education with this reality in mind. Our materials use simpler language, a compassionate tone, and real-world explanations that make complex information easier to understand, even on the hardest days. We focus on what people truly need to know right now, organize it in simple steps, and present it in formats that are easy to read, share, and revisit later. Our materials are also age-appropriate from toddlers to seniors.
-
In precision medicine, finding the right patient story to highlight requires the same rigor as the science itself.
We combine research expertise with human insight to identify, vet, and develop patient narratives that align with your indication, mechanism, and clinical value.
SHR’s Approach in Action
A disciplined, patient, and provider-centered process that ensures every story is accurate, compliant, and meaningful.
Patient
Alignment
Identifying stories aligned with treatment indication and patient population.
Rigor &
Relevance
Rigorous vetting for accuracy, authenticity, and emotional relevance.
Built for
Compliance
Navigation of FDA and EMA compliance requirements at every stage.
Real-World
Impact
Clear articulation of clinical benefit through real-world experience.
How We Work
We create clear, patient-centered content designed to educate, engage, and endure across settings.
Every piece is grounded in evidence, shaped by lived experience, and developed with compliance in mind.
Patient Education
Patient education videos explaining conditions, treatments, follow-up care and monitoring.
Science
Explained
Science explainers designed for non-clinical audiences.
Story-Driven
Content
Patient-story-based content that connects emotionally while remaining accurate.
Built to
Scale
Assets designed to work across digital platforms, live events, and medical settings.
Why It Works
We break down the science so it’s meaningful.
By grounding every message in research, insight, and real-world experience, we help healthcare organizations and providers communicate with credibility, empathy, and purpose.