Health Literacy: From Individual to Institution
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Transcript of Health Literacy: From Individual to Institution
Health Literacy:From Individual to
Institution
Fatima AshrafOffice of the Mayor
Literacy
The ContextLANGUAGE
50% of NYC adults speak a language other than English at home
25% of NYC adults do not speak English
LITERACY
60% of NYC adults read at an 8th grade level or below
Remember: reading skills trail last year of school by 2 to 5 years … high school diplomas linked to 9th grade skills
Key Things to Remember
There is a culture of literacy …
If you can’t read well, words are not helpful
Even people who can read well, don’t “read” … they skim
Writing Sample #1
Nepo lla eerht sdil eno yb eno dna yllausiv kcehc lla gniriw dna gnibut. Kcehc fi gnihton si nekorb, dehctarcs, tneb, ro esiwrehto degamad.
Writing Sample # 2
Those referred for ernstropikgle should report to the ernstropikgle evaluation center on the lower level in the left corridor on the right side. Ernstropikgle candidates should be advised that preparation requirements exist that if not consistently adhered to prior to the ernstropikgle may under certain circumstances lead to suboptimal findings.
Writing Sample # 3
Take two pills once a day.
Health Education vs. Health Literacy
Health Literacy: Definitions
Health literacy is the ability of an individual to read, understand and act upon health related information.
Health literacy also refers to the capacity of professionals and institutions to communicate effectively so that community members can make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to protect and promote their health.
Consequences of low health literacy on the individual:
Worse overall health status Presentation for treatment at later
stages Higher rates of hospitalization Higher rates of ER utilization Less knowledge of health and disease Difficulty understanding and using
health information
Institute of Medicine recognizes importance of the institutions
“The problems associated with limited health literacy and interventions to ameliorate them do not start and end with patients.”
“Efforts to enhance health literacy skills among individual families must be matched by interventions on the part of the health care sector to improve communications and systems.” (IOM, 2004)
Responsibilities of the institution:
Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care
Improving patient safety and reducing medical errors
Improving health outcomes for people with chronic medical conditions
Improving health literacy knowledge and skills among health care providers
Clear & Effective Communication
Guidelines forClear and Effective Communication
Clarity of purpose
Plain language
Good document design
Test your documents with intended users!
What is Clarity of Purpose?
Does the title and opening sentences explain what the purpose
of the document is? Who is it intended for? What is the reader supposed to do?
Does the document contain everything the reader needs to accomplish the intended purpose?
Is the document focused? Does it contain more than 3 or 4 main points? Does it include information that is not essential? Does it put the most important points up front?
What is Plain Language?
Techniques that make documents easy to read: Smaller, simpler, more familiar words Less jargon and legalese with important
words defined Shorter sentences, shorter paragraphs Active voice, conversational tone, personal
touch (I, you, we) Vocabulary and concepts are concrete and
explicit rather than abstract and implied Lower reading level
Mayor’s Office of Adult EducationMayor’s Office of Correspondence
Smaller, Simpler Words with Less Jargon
Notwithstanding the fact that: ___________
At this point in time: __________________
Until such time as: ___________________
In the event of: ______________________
Adversely impact: ____________________
Mayor’s Office of Adult EducationMayor’s Office of Correspondence
Smaller, Simpler Words with Less Jargon
Adjacent to: _________________________
Heretofore: _________________________
Previously: __________________________
Notice of Violation: ___________________
Statutory Penalty: ____________________
Mayor’s Office of Adult EducationMayor’s Office of Correspondence
HHC Open Letter to Immigrant New Yorkers
Our policy is clear. Any patient information obtained by an HHC employee may not be disclosed to any third party. Our employees know that they may lose their jobs if they violate this policy. Treating all patient information as confidential is critical to the trust we want to build with all our patients. This trust helps us to provide quality health services to you and your family.
HHC Open Letter to Immigrant New Yorkers with Plain Language
Our policy is clear. No HHC employee can give your patient information to ANYONE else. All of our employees know that if they break this promise they can lose their job. We understand that this is the only way that we can keep your trust. We know that we need your trust to give you and your family quality health services.
Mayor’s Office of Adult EducationMayor’s Office of Correspondence
What is Good Document Design?
Techniques that make documents easy to read: Not too dense-looking; good balance of white
space Can be easily skimmed Information visually chunked into small sections Headings tell the reader the main points and
where information is located Numbered lists, bullet points, arrows Pictures or graphics support main points Font size of 12 or larger with limited use of bold
for emphasis and avoid all caps Left justified with jagged right margin
Institutional partnerships:Health Care and Adult Education System of classes with access to
70,000 potential patients.
Health care providers can get insight into: How adults learn How to be effective communicators How to assess patient’s literacy level How to break down complicated tasks Be patient (student) centered