Health Literacy

Question 1

Health literacy is the degree to which people have the capcity to?

Answer 1

• obtain, process and understand health information and services
• make appropriate healthcare decisions (act on information)
• access/navigate healthcare system

88% of U.S adults are below proficient level

Question 2

• Impact of cost related health literacy?

Answer 2

• low health cost literacy can impair quality of life, worsen financial well being and harm quality of care

Question 3

what are some things you can do to combat hearing loss in patients?

Answer 3

• signal what comes next
• reduce background noise
• lower pitch of voice
• slow down, but not too much
• use teach back

Question 4

what are universal precautions?

Answer 4

• a communication strategy which assumes that all health care encouters are at risk for communication errors, and aims to minimize risk for everyone

Question 5

what are proven clear communication techniques?

Answer 5

• Use plain language and anlogies
• focus on the 2 or 3 most important “need to know” and start with those
• check for understanding using a “teach back” method
• use familiar, common & everyday language. If possible use the patients own words
• provide complex information in chunks

Question 6

How should you ask question in the teach back method?

Answer 6

• “what questions do you have?”
• “tell me one or two questions you have been thinking about”