Nancy,

I wonder if your students have mobile (cell) phones.  Many people do,  
including many adult learners.  Mobile phones are beginning to merge  
with other technologies.  Many mobile phones now have web access and  
MP3 players.  This trend is accelerating.  Within the next few months  
or years it will be common for mobile phones to have web access. So  
adult learners with mobile phones, like others, could -- if they were  
shown how -- access the same visuals that medical practitioners  
showed them on handhelds in the clinic.  I had a conversation today  
with a major commercial provider of adult learning videos about adult  
learning instruction videos on handhelds. I believe that many (all)  
of the commercial providers soon will be looking at how to deliver  
instruction through mobile phones.  Granted, people over the age of  
30 may not find it all that attractive to read screens the size of  
mobile phone screens -- I am one of those -- but if the application  
is designed for a mobile phone, and if the need is great, and if they  
are easy to use, we probably will.

I wonder if members on this list who work in health care environments  
are seeing doctors, nurses or others using handhelds with web access,  
including mobile phones, as a routine part of their healthcare work.

David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net


On Aug 11, 2006, at 4:19 PM, Nancy Hansen wrote:


> I'd like a clarification on what you mean by "alternate approach  

> may be to deconstruct the pt. education process".  This language is  

> far from "plain English" and would not be clear to someone with  

> limited literacy skills. *I* don't know what you mean, in fact.

>

> The "on-screen visuals in almost real time" also concerns me as a  

> literacy provider.  I have worked with *some* men and women who  

> have no (or little) access to computers, much less the skills to  

> get on-line and reach the correct website.  If the adults cannot  

> read well and all they have are graphics on the screen, without  

> "real live helper/readers" beside them, what do you see as the  

> benefit using that technique? Do you realize that some adults with  

> learning disabilities have little or not understanding of some  

> graphics as well?

>

> Just because people in India can read CAT-scans (and they also just  

> *happen* to be *doctors*!), it doesn't mean that the dyslexic  

> patient (or who has some other learning disability) is going to be  

> able to.  It's called: You might just be "making an incorrect  

> assumption" here.

> Just me -

> Nancy Hansen

> Exec Director/Tutor/TTrainer

>

> Lendoak at aol.com wrote:

> Dear David Rosen,

>

> I don't know of any clinic using a hand-held display to show simple  

> visuals that would help patients understand and comply. But your  

> idea makes sense.

>

> An alternate approach may be to deconstruct the pt. education  

> process to use a trained outsource of people to provide patients  

> with on-screen visuals in almost real time.  A cadre of retired  

> nurses could do this part time from home. (An entrepreneur might  

> take this concept a long way!)  After all, doctors in India read  

> many of our x-rays and CAT scans.

>

> Thank you for your comment.

>

> best wishes,

>

> Len and Ceci Doak

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David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net