Arizona Health Disparities Center Plain Language and Plain Talk Welcome Health Literacy Assessment...

Arizona Health Disparities Centerwww.azminorityhealth.gov

Plain Language and Plain Talk

• Welcome

• Health Literacy

• Assessment Tool Activity

• Jargon Activity

• Plain Talk

Arizona Health Disparities Center PresentsPlain Language and Plain Talk

By Jana Granillo



Goal

Increase personal awareness of Health Literacy, Plain Language and

role/responsibility related to consumer communication.



Learning Objectives

• Understand what Health Literacy is and how if affects consumer communication.

• Have an awareness of key concepts used in Plain Language.

• Have an awareness of the Vital Signs Health Literacy assessment tool.



Learning Outcomes

• Use plain language in conducting work activities and in writing materials.

• Reduce jargon in consumer communication.

• Review printed materials used with consumers and evaluate the appropriate use in the consumer targeted population.



Before we can start to talk about Plain Language and Plain Talk, we need to

speak to Health Literacy.



What is Health Literacy?

…. the degree to which individuals can:

• obtain,

• process,

• and understand

• the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions.

(Report Brief, April 2004 Health Literacy a Prescription to End Confusion, Institute of Medicine.)



What kind of health decisions and actions do you want from your target

population?



What are characteristics of your target population?



Examples of health-related tasks related to Health Literacy includes

• to understand from written material such as the health

risks of obesity;

• to determine the benefits of a health insurance plan; or

• to determine the correct dose of a prescribed medication

from a prescription label



Health Literacy A Prescription to End Confusion, IOM

• Who does it affect?

• Who is at risk?

• Health Literacy is a systemic problem and the

responsibility of? ___________



Health Literacy VideoA Prescription to End Confusion, IOM

• Who does it effect?90 million adults, most are native born English Speakers

• Who is at risk? Elderly, Poor, Less than High School Education, New Immigrants, others?

• Health Literacy is a systemic problem and the responsibility of? Health Care Providers, Public Health Communities, Government, Advocates, Advertisers and Marketers, Patients and Families.



What is Health Literacy?

But health literacy goes beyond the individual..… It also depends upon:

• the skills,

• preferences, and expectations of

• health information and care providers.

(Health care providers: doctors; nurses; administrators; home health workers; the media; and many others.)

(Report Brief, April 2004 Health Literacy a Prescription to End Confusion, Institute of Medicine.)



What is your communication responsibility in your field of work?



Examples of HL Assessment Tools

• TOFHLA, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults

• REALM, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine

• Vital Signs (a U of A product, interprets a food nutrition label for ice cream.)

For more information, visit ADHS net.



Health Literacy Assessment Tool Activity

• Given the Health Literacy: REALM Activity sheet, lets have a little fun!

• Read together as a group all words on the list(s)



• Fat

• Flu

• Pill

• Dose

• Eye

• Stress

• Smear

• Nerves

• Germs

• Meals

• Disease

• Cancer

• Caffeine

• Attack

• Kidney

• Hormones

• Herpes

• Seizure

• Bowel

• Asthma

• Rectal

• Incest

•Fatigue

•Pelvic

•Jaundice

•Infection

•Exercise

•Behavior

•Prescription

•Notify

•Gallbladder

•Calories

•Depression

•Miscarriage

•Pregnancy

•Arthritis

•Nutrition

•Menopause

•Appendix

•Abnormal

•Syphilis

•Hemorrhoids

•Nausea

•Directed

List 1

List 2



• Allergic• Menstrual• Testicle• Colitis• Emergency• Medication• Occupation• Sexuality• Alcoholism• Irritation• Constipation

• Gonorrhea• Inflammatory• Diabetes• Hepatitis• Antibiotics• Diagnosis• Potassium• Anemia• Obesity• Osteoporosis• Impetigo

List 3



Vital Sign

• See label instrument • See instructions



The Newest Vital SignA Health Literacy Assessment Tool

Pfizer

Clear Health Communication Initiative

www.clearhealthcommunication.org



What can we do?What can we effect? (Low hanging Fruit?)

• Reduce Jargon.

• Use Plain Language

• Get feedback from targeted group.



Jargon• Analgesic • Anti-

inflammatory• Benign• Carcinoma• Cardiac

Problem• Heart Failure• Hypertension

• Lipids

• Menopause

• Menses

• Osteoporosis

• Referral

• Terminal

• Toxic

• Catheterize Bladder

Pain killer

Heart problem

Heart is not pumping well.

Put a tube where your urine comes out.



Jargon You Use …



Jargon Activity

Given the jargon list we previously generated,

work with a participant, select one or two words from the list

and suggest another term to use with your target

population.



Plain Languagewww.plainlanguage.gov

1. … design and write the document in a way that best serves the reader. …

2. … Try for the same unaffected tone you would use if you were speaking to the reader in person.

3. Omit unnecessary detail. ...

4. Use examples …

5. … test…



Example Plain Language …

Before• The dietary guidelines for Americans recommends

a half hour or more of moderate physical activity on most days, preferably everyday. The activity can include brisk walking, calisthenics, home care, gardening, moderate sports exercise, and dancing.

After• Do at least 30 minutes of exercise, like brisk

walking, most days of the week.



Before• Title I of the CARE Act creates a program of formula and

supplemental competitive grants to help metropolitan areas with 2,000 or more reported AIDS cases meet emergency care needs of low-income HIV patients. Title II of the Ryan White Act provides formula grants to States and territories for operation of HIV service consortia in the localities most affected but the epidemic, provision of home and community -based care, continuation of insurance coverage for persons with HIV infection, and treatments that prolong life and prevent serious deterioration of health. Up to 10 percent of the funds for this program can be used to support Special Projects of National Significance.

After• Low income people living with HIV/AIDS gain, literally, years,

through the advanced drug treatments and ongoing care supported by HRSA’s Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE)



Before• This is a multipurpose passenger vehicle which

will handle and maneuver differently from an ordinary passenger car, in driving conditions which may occur on streets and highways and off road. As with other vehicles of this type, if you make sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. You should read driving guidelines and instructions in the Owner's Manual, and WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES.



Avoid Abrupt Maneuvers and Excessive SpeedAlways Buckle Up

See Owners Manual for Further Information



More

• Plain Language Thesaurus for Health Communications, National Center for Health Marketing, HHS, CDC, October 2007



Thanks ..visit the web for more information about

Health Literacywww.azminorityhealth.gov

• Definition Institute of Medicine Vignette and Summary http://www.iom.edu/?id=21737 http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3775/3827/19723.aspx

• NAAL National Assessment of Adult LiteracyThe Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy; Hosted by the National Institute for Literacy http://www.nifl.gov 202-233-2025 [email protected]; A webcast presentation, August 29, 2007, Sheida White, NAAL Project Officer, National Center for Education Statisticshttp://www.nifl.gov/nifl/webcasts/NAALhealth/webcast0829.html



+ Assessment Tools ResourcesFry Readability Scale: Key word search, http://www.cdc.gov

+ The Council of State Government, 2003 Health Literacy Toolkit. Executive Summary; www.css.org keyword Health Literacy



Web Resources Writing

How to Write Easy to Read Health Materials http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/etr.html Plain Language Guidance: www.plainlanguage.gov Medline How to Write Easy to Read Health Materials; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/etr.html Health literacy and patient safety: Help patients understand, al for clinicians Second edition; Author: Barry D. Weiss, MD University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson; www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/367/healthlitclinicians.pdf



www.azminorityhealth.gov



Goal

Increase personal awareness of Health Literacy, Plain Language and

role/responsibility related to consumer communication.



Learning Objectives:

• Understand what Health Literacy is and how if affects consumer communication.

• Have an awareness of key concepts used in Plain Language.

• Have an awareness of the Vital Signs Health Literacy assessment tool.



Learning Outcomes

• Use plain language in conducting work activities and in writing materials.

• Reduce jargon in consumer communication.

• Review printed materials used with consumers and evaluate the appropriate use in the consumer targeted population.

Arizona Health Disparities Center Plain Language and Plain Talk Welcome Health Literacy Assessment...

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