Communicating Effectively with Patients Flashcards
the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic HEALTH information and services needed to make appropriate HEALTH decisions:
Health Literacy
Health literacy is dependent on:
individual and systemic factors
What individual and systemic factors is health literacy dependent on?
- communication skills (of patient and professionals)
- knowledge (of health topics)
- culture
- demands of healthcare (and public health systems)
- demands of the situation
Health literacy affects peoples ability to:
- _____ the healthcare system, including filling out complex forms and locating providers and services
- _____, such as health history, with providers
- _____ and chronic-disease management
- ____ mathematical concepts such as probability and risk
- Navigate
2.Share - Engage in self-care
- Understand
A strategy for making written and oral information easier to understand. It is ONE important tool for improving health literacy.
Plain Language
Communications that users can understand the first time they read or hear it.
Plain language
Key elements of plain language include: (4)
- Organizing info so that the most important points come first
- Breaking complex info into understandable chunks
- Using simple language and defining technical terms
- Using the ACTIVE voice
Speaking plainly is just as important as:
writing plainly
____ affects how people communicate, understand, and respond to health information
culture
_____ of health professionals can contribute to health literacy
cultural and linguistic competency
The ability of health organizations and practitioners to recognize the cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, tradition, language preferences, and health practices of diverse populations, and to apply that knowledge to a positive health outcome:
Cultural competence
Includes communicating in a manner that is linguistically and culturally appropriate:
Competency
LEP:
Limited English Proficiency
For many individuals with ___, the inability to communicate in English is the primary barrier to accessing health information and services
LEP
Populations most likely to experience health literacy are: (6)
- older adults
- racial & ethnic minorities
- people with less than high school degree or GED
- people with low income
- non-native speakers of English
- people with compromised health status
What factors affect people health literacy? (5)
- education
- language
- culture
- access to resources
- age
The primary responsibility for improving health literacy lies with:
public health professionals and the healthcare and public health systems
Tips for presenting treatment plans to patients include:
- sit facing the patient at eye level (never have the patient in a reclining position)
- Use language the patient can understand
- Avoid using threatening or anxiety-producing terms
- Talk to the patient, don’t preach
- Body language
- Don’t give too many details unless asked
- Ask patient to repeat back the info to confirm understanding
- Use models, wax-ups, photos, radiographs, etc. to emphasize key points