Hello All,

This is interesting.  In my view, health literacy is not static, but is a 
dynamic construct.  We may all have base levels of health literacy, but if 
you view health literacy as the capacity to obtain, process, and utilize 
health-related information in order to make appropriate health-related 
decisions, I believe we all may experience low health literacy at times. 
For example, when I am stressed or scared or nervous, my health literacy 
is greatly diminished because my capacity to understand becomes impaired. 
Therefore, I would strongly recommend that physicians and other health 
professionals assume everyone has low health literacy and treat all 
patients the same regarding plain language, the teach-back method, and any 
other techniques shown to improve understanding among patients.  Just 
waiting unclothed in a little room for  the doctor to show up can be 
nerve-wracking enough to require more in-depth explanation, and plain 
language should be the norm, in my opinion.

Best,
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)




"David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net> 
Sent by: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
05/24/2008 08:42 AM
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[HealthLiteracy 2034]  AMA Medical News Article on Health Literacy






Health Literacy Colleagues

I would like to call your attention an article, dated June 2, 2008 
(interesting dateline) in the American Medical news of the 
AMA . It poses this question:

Should physicians adjust the communication level for each patient, or are 
comprehension difficulties so common that simpler language should be used 
with everyone?

Doctors are being urged by some researchers to administer  a short (on 
average, just under 3 minutes)  literacy test to their patients to 
increase the doctors' health literacy awareness. Others argue that while 
appropriate for research,  this does not make sense for clinical practice. 
They argue for plain language for all patients. 

How many patients are proficient in managing their own medical care? One 
recent study found that 

only 12% of adults have the skills to proficiently manage their own 
medical care.

The article mentions that the AMA Foundation will release a report in July 
 on assessing the country's health literacy.

You'll find the article at:

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/06/02/hlsd0602.htm


David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net


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