We have just written an initial proposal for a grant to do just that. If we eventually receive funding we will be working on a two year time frame to put together a curriculum that will align with Missouri Adult Education Content Standards and fit into the Missouri model of delivering ESL and GED/Basic skills/Literacy to adults ages 16 and over who are no longer enrolled in school. While providers focus on Health literacy, adult education programs can focus on health Literacy. Given the estimate that $160-283 billion a year in US health care costs are directly attributable to low level literacy I propose adopting the idea that "All Literacy is Health Literacy". If we secure our grant, we will begin working on a program to do just that.
   
  Sally Sandy
  Director
  Parkway Adult Education and Literacy
  13157 North Olive Spur Road
  St. Louis, Mo.  63141
  314-415-4943

MSkewes at ria.buffalo.edu wrote: 
  
Hello all, 

In reading the literature on literacy and health, I have noticed that interventions seem to be mostly provider-focused.  Meaning, there is a lot of research on strategies for reaching clients with low literacy skills and communicating differently with these people.  Does anyone know of interventions aimed at improving health literacy skills among patients themselves?  Please let me know (back-channel at mskewes at ria.buffalo.edu) if you run across or know of any interventions designed to improve health literacy in clients, instead of just improving the way health professionals communicate with patients/clients who have inadequate health literacy skills (not to say that's not important too!). 

Thanks, 
Monica 

Monica C. Skewes, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
Research Institute on Addictions
University at Buffalo
The State University of New York
1021 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14203
716-887-2242 (phone)
716-887-2510 (fax)
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