New HIPAA compliant LLM tries to make health literacy scalable

A nonprofit-developed AI tool is helping healthcare organizations create materials that patients can understand and use.

What happened

According to Healthcare IT Today, the Institute for Healthcare Advancement has released a HIPAA compliant large language model designed to help organizations produce health information that matches patients’ reading abilities and cultural needs. The tool, called HealthLiteracyCopilot, assesses documents for readability and design, supports multiple languages, and generates new content based on health literacy standards. It was developed in partnership with HealthcareGPS and is hosted in a SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant environment.

Going deeper

Health literacy challenges remain a barrier for patients who need to manage chronic conditions, understand consent forms, or follow treatment instructions. Many healthcare organizations struggle to tailor documents for different audiences, especially when teams must update materials frequently or meet strict regulatory requirements. The new tool assesses a document’s clarity, layout, plain language use, and visual structure, which influence comprehension as much as reading level. It also supports persona-based customization so materials can be adapted for various communities, languages, or age groups. The workflow allows staff to upload content, review automated recommendations, revise sections, and export updated files for use across care programs.

What was said

Leaders at the Institute for Healthcare Advancement noted that only a small share of adults in the United States possess the skills needed to interpret typical healthcare materials. They described the tool as a way to help organizations reduce cognitive load for readers by improving design choices, simplifying terminology, and refining messaging. HealthcareGPS explained that many clients maintain thousands of documents across departments and need a scalable method to test whether those materials are understandable for specific audiences. Both groups expect that the tool will support public health agencies, payers, clinical teams, and community-based providers that lack internal health literacy expertise.

The big picture

Research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that limited health literacy is associated with lower treatment adherence, reduced use of preventive services, and higher healthcare costs. Federal agencies have urged providers to adopt plain-language practices and design patient-facing materials that reduce misunderstanding. Tools that evaluate layout and usability alongside reading level can help organizations improve patient engagement and reduce administrative burdens tied to rewriting documents manually. 

FAQs

What is the purpose of HealthLiteracyCopilot?

It helps organizations assess and revise patient-facing materials so they are easier to read, understand, and apply in everyday care.

Which types of organizations can use the tool?

It is intended for hospitals, clinics, payers, public health agencies, community programs, and any group that produces health education or outreach materials.

How does the tool assess readability?

It reviews reading level, visual design, structure, layout, and terminology to identify elements that could confuse or overwhelm a reader.

Can it help create new documents?

Yes. It can generate drafts from approved sources and then check the content against health literacy standards.

Is the tool suitable for regulated environments?

It is hosted in a HIPAA compliant and SOC 2 environment and supports workflows for teams that handle protected health information.