Health Literacy Final Exam Flashcards
Define health literacy and its implications to
a person’s health
•Ability to read, understand and use health information to make appropriate healthcare decisions •Ability to follow instructions for treatment
- Amount of experience in the healthcare
system - Complexity of the information presented
- Cultural factors that may influence decision
making - How the material is communicated
Health knowledge deficits:
• Less likely to know how to take medications or use a
thermometer
• Less likely to understand symptoms of problems
(hypoglycemia)
• Less likely to understand “risk” relationships
Less healthy behaviors:
• More smoking
• More exposure to violence
• Less breastfeeding
Identify red flags of determining health
literacy problems
-Registration forms incompletely or inaccurately completed
- Frequently missed appointments
-Noncompliance with medicine instructions
-Lack of follow-through with referrals
-Patients say they are taking medications but body response
does not change as expected
the most simple and concrete skills ranging from non-literate to having the ability to locate information on a chart (name, address, date) and numbers
skills necessary to perform everyday simple literacy activities such as reading and understanding simple documents
ANSWER:
A.BELOW BASIC
B. INTERMEDIATE
B. ADVANCED
BELOW BASIC
Evaluate patient friendly written materials
- General Content Limit content to 1-2 key objectives § Limit content to what patients really need to know § Use only words that are well known to individuals without
medical training § Make certain content is age and culture appropriate - Text Construction § Write at or below 6th
grade level § Use 1-2 syllable words § Use short paragraphs § Use active voice § Avoid all but the most
simple tables and graphs.
Clear explanations
(legends) should be
placed on tables & graphs. - Fonts and Typestyle § Minimum 12 point § Don’t use more than 2-3
font styles on a page § Consistency of font is
important § Use upper and lower case.
ALL UPPERCASE IS HARD
TO READ - Layout § Ensure a good amount of “white”
or empty space § Use heading to separate blocks
of text § Bulleted lists are preferable to
block of text in paragraphs § Illustrations are useful if they
depict common, easy to
recognize objects. Avoid complex
anatomical diagrams
Evaluate patient friendly non-written patient
education materials
§ A general attitude of helpfulness §Use clear and easy to follow signage §When scheduling appointments:
§ Have a person answer the phone
§ Collect only necessary information
§ Give directions to the office
§ Help patients prepare for the visit. Ask them to bring in all
their medications and a list of any questions they may have
§ “I forgot my glasses. I’ll read this when I get home.”
§ “I forgot my glasses. Can you read this to me?”
§ “Let me bring this home so I can discuss it with my
children.”
RED FLAG RESPONCES TO RECEIVING INFORMATION
§ “I forgot my glasses. I’ll read this when I get home.”
§ “I forgot my glasses. Can you read this to me?”
§ “Let me bring this home so I can discuss it with my
children.”
§ Unable to name medications
§ Unable to explain a medication’s purpose
§ Unable to explain timing of medication
administration
RED FLAG RESPONCES TO RECEIVING INFORMATION
Clinicians can be held liable for adverse outcomes suffered by patients who do not understand important health information needed for Dx and Tx
TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
6 STEPS TO IMPROVE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
- S l o w d o w n !
- Use plain, non-medical language
- Show or draw pictures
- Limit the amount of information provided & repeat it
- Use the teach back or show me technique
- Create a shame free environment where patients feel
comfortable asking questions
6 BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
- Use orienting questions - First I will ask you some
questions, then we will take your BP - Ask patients if they have any concerns that have not been
addressed - Ask patients to explain their understanding of their problem
or tx - Sit rather than stand
- Listen rather than speak
• Do not simply ask a patient, “Do you understand?” •Ask patients to explain or demonstrate how they will undertake a recommended tx or intervention •If the patient does not explain correctly, assume that you have not provided adequate teaching. Re-teach the information using alternate approaches
TEACH BACK/SHOW-ME TECHNIQUE
Graphic Illustrations • Pictures and models Audiotapes Videos Computer • CD-ROMs • Downloadable Internet sites Interactive computer modalities THESE ARE
ALTERNATIVES TO WRITTEN HANDOUTS
At the end of each visit a patient should be able to
answer the following questions:
5
- What health problems do I have and what should I do
about them? - Where do I go for tests, medicine and appointments?
- How should I take my medicine?
- Other instructions - OHI
- When do I need to be seen again? Do I have another
appointment?
