Information Gaps

California Health Literacy Initiative Pilot Study
“Low Literacy, High Risk: The Hidden Challenge Facing Health Care in California”
http://cahealthliteracy.org/pdffiles/healthliteracy
longreport012704_3.pdf


1. There is a lack of community education/awareness about health literacy.

2. There is a lack of working knowledge among health and literacy professionals about the problem of health literacy and possible solutions.

3. There is a need for more plain language and culturally appropriate materials on chronic diseases.

4. A model is needed for the development of plain language material on any health topic.

5. Funding is needed to facilitate the creation of learner-developed health materials for use in adult education settings.

6. There are few solutions or strategies to low health literacy that are learner-driven and community-specific.

7. There are few partnerships being created or dialogues being fostered between adult learners, community members, literacy professionals, health care providers and political decision-makers.

Research Gaps

California Health Literacy Initiative Pilot Study
“Low Literacy, High Risk: The Hidden Challenge Facing Health Care in California”
http://cahealthliteracy.org/pdffiles/
healthliteracylongreport012704_3.pdf

1. There is a lack of current and continuous scientific research regarding the effects of low health literacy on the receipt and provision of health care and methods of clear health communication.

2. More health literacy research is needed among allied health providers, such as pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants, to address their challenges and needs.

3. Research among low literate adults is also needed to measure the impact of low literacy on access to care, to enhance shared-decision-making, to avoid errors and to measure and improve the quality of care.

4. Research that defines the most effective means of communicating health information should be developed and implemented in health professional schools, using direct input from low literate adults.

5. Medical providers, clinics, and hospitals should work to create shame-free and trustworthy environments.

6. There is a lack of standards and regulations surrounding the issue of health literacy; this needs to be further explored, and these standards and regulations should be created. Legislation should be generated and resources should be allocated.

Research-based Recommendations:

California Health Literacy Initiative Pilot Study
“Low Literacy, High Risk: The Hidden Challenge Facing Health Care in California”
http://cahealthliteracy.org/pdffiles/
healthliteracylongreport012704_3.pdf

1. Funding for adult education should be increased. Increased funding will help alleviate the numbers of individuals struggling with low literacy skills, and will provide more opportunities to reach low-literate adults with health literacy training.

2. Plain language materials should be available to patients at every stage in the health care process, and patients who require assistance with filling out paperwork should be able to easily obtain it.

3. Innovative, multimedia methods for delivering health information should be explored and developed.

4. Positions such as Peer Educators and Patient Advocates should be funded and provided for by medical reimbursement. Peer Educators and Patient Advocates can accompany patients to office visits, answer questions and explain terminology, paperwork, and procedures.

5. Physicians should use plain language and should use the “teach-back” method to
ensure comprehension.

6. More research is needed on effective techniques for clear communication with all patients.

7. Medical professionals and adult literacy providers should seek collaborative relationships to address issues raised by low health literacy.

8. Research into effective training techniques for medical providers is needed. Health literacy training should be part of ongoing professional education, beginning with schools of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy.

9. Health care systems need to be designed with the awareness that a significant percentage of patients struggle with low literacy skills. Materials such as informed consent forms and discharge instructions need to be written at a plain language level, and should be accompanied by audiotape or videotape instructions.

10. Advocates for improved language access and for greater health literacy should partner to determine how the two issues overlap and interact.

A Strategic Approach: California Health Literacy Initiative

Projects compiled by the California Health Literacy Initiative Task Force, November 2002

Project #1: Promote community education by creating a media partnership with the goal of developing effective multimedia materials on health literacy and airing them on appropriate media outlets such as PBS, health-focused television channels, etc.

Project #2: Promote community education by using innovative, interactive teaching tools in non-health, non-literacy venues and develop and deliver health literacy awareness training based on the experiences of adults with low health literacy.

Project #3: Create plain language, culturally appropriate materials on chronic disease. Create a model for others to use in developing materials on any health topic.

Project #4: Create and deliver health literacy information and training at literacy conferences, in-service trainings, workshops, etc.

Project #5: Provide grants/stipends for learner-developed health materials that will be used in adult education settings.

Project #6: Establish a training program to teach adult learners to moderate community forums on health issues and to mobilize neighborhoods and communities.

Project #7: Develop “Speaker’s Bureau of Adult Learners” to conduct sensitivity training based on experience of adults with low health literacy.

Project #8: Engage adult learners and community members in advocacy efforts through training, plain language versions of health legislation, and advocacy partnerships.

Project #9: Provide forums for health care providers and community members to dialogue and develop solutions to problems of low health literacy.

Project #10: Work with the statewide literacy efforts in California to ensure health is included and prioritized.