October 26, 2020
The Transplant Research and Education Center (TREC) and Health Literacy Media have received the first-place ward in the Special COVID-19 Category at the 2020 ClearMark Awards for “Doing everything you can during COVID-19,” a comprehensive educational guide for kidney and transplant patients. The ClearMark Awards is an annual event hosted by the Center for Plain Language that celebrates achievements in plain language communications by companies, governments, and organizations across North America. Winners are invited to include the ClearMark stamp on their communications materials, signaling the highest standard for clarity and simplicity.
The guide serves kidney and transplant patients, at heightened risk for COVID-19, by delivering information in a health literate Q & A format with actionable advice for how to navigate routine medical care during the pandemic. In addition to common COVID-19 information, such as symptoms, proper handwashing technique, and prevention, this guide provides answers to kidney and transplant patient-specific questions. These include topics like how dialysis care can change during COVID-19, how to safely maintain a kidney, dialysis or transplant care regimen, making choices about pursuing transplant during the pandemic, and ways to stay calm and supported. The guide is also available in Spanish and is regularly updated to follow CDC guidelines and changing information as the world learns more about the virus.