Health LiteracyWorking Group

Best Practices: Approaches to Assessment

Peggy Sissel-Phelan, Ed.D.

December 1, 2010

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve the

ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as well

as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health Literacy Defined

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health Literacy Operationalized

ROLES

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health Literacy Operationalized

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

ROLES METHODS

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

Health Literacy Operationalized

ROLES

Health literacy allows the public and personnel

working in all health-related contexts to find, understand,

evaluate, communicate, and use information. Health

literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve

the ability of people to act on information in order to live

healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing,

listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as

well as communication and interaction skills.

(Calgary Charter on Health Literacy, 2008)

OUTCOMES METHODS

Level of understanding OF health contexts

• Clinical/Self help

• Access/Navigation

• Prevention/Treatment

• Chronic/Acute

• Emergency/Routine

Patients ~ Bring varied “ability to act on information to improve health” due to

Level of skills IN

health contexts

• Locating

• Decoding

• Inferring

• Formulating questions

• Interpreting

Varied understanding

of their patients’ health

contexts

• Clinical/Self help

• Access/Navigation

• Prevention/Treatment

• Chronic/Acute

• Emergency/Routine

Providers ~Vary in “ability to help patients find, understand, evaluate, communicate, and use information” due to

Varied level of skills

that help enable their

patients in

• Locating

• Decoding

• Inferring

• Formulating questions

• Interpreting

Varied understanding

of their patients’ health

contexts

• Clinical/Self help

• Access/Navigation

• Prevention/Treatment

• Chronic/Acute

• Emergency/Routine

Providers ~Vary in “ability to help patients find, understand, evaluate, communicate, and use information” due to

Varied level of skills

that help enable their

patients in

• Locating

• Decoding

• Inferring

• Formulating questions

• Interpreting

The Core of Best Practice

Cultural

Competency

Methods

CulturalCompetency

Roles Outcomes

Components of Best Practices

Components of Best Practice Methods

CulturalCompetency

Roles Outcomes

Tools

Training Systems

Components of Best Practice Tools

CulturalCompetency

Training Systems

Materials Means

Supports &Services

Clinical Interaction

Policies

Processes

Tools

Plain Language

Components of Best Practice

Addresses varied health contexts

Plain Language

in accessible ways

Locate Decode Question Understand

Health Information

and Health

so patients are better able to

Passive sentences

Long paragraphs

Poly-syllable words

Clinical language

Past/mixed tense

3rd person (they, s/he)

Active sentences

Short paragraphs

Mono or bi-syllable

Colloquial language

Present tense

2nd or 1st person (you, I)

Plain Language and Health

Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Public Law No: 111-274)

• Federal agencies must use “plain writing” • All “covered documents” issued to public

• ~ Letters, publications, forms, notices, instructions• ~ Anything relevant to federal benefits or requirements

• Signed Oct. 13, 2010; begins in 1 year

Plain Language: It’s the Law

http://www. plainlanguage.gov

Plain Language

Plain Language

http://www.nih.gov/clearcommunication/plainlanguage.htm