I have been reading with great interest the discussion on photonovellas.
I see a great use for them with my diabetic clients.

 

Question:  If I have a class of people with diabetes for only a few days
or a week is it possible for me to put together a photonovella for them?

 

            I guess I could have a prototype already put together on my
computer and just add the photos.  I love the personalization of the
project.  I think that my clients would really identify with a book
featuring them.  

 

            Last year I heard a lecture by Andrew Pleasant from Rutgers
on Health Literacy and he reminded the diabetic educators that for our
clients: Diabetes is a new lifetime contract with their health.  Seeing
their photo with a caption or dialogue bubble stating that they are
willing to consider to make lifestyle changes could make an impressive
impact.  The finished product will either end up on the refrigerator or
the trashcan. 

 

            Thank you for all of this info.  I may be contacting a few
of you experienced photonovella-ers for guidance.

 

 

Bobbie Randall, MEd, RD, LD

Dietitian

Dunlap Community Hospital

832 South Main Street

Orrville, OH  44667

330-684-4776

 

________________________________

From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Susan Auger
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 1:27 PM
To: 'The Health and Literacy Discussion List'
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2482] Re: Teach-With-Stories method for
usingphotonovellas

 

I wanted to share some background info to help clarify how I came to
develop and use photonovellas differently...

In the early 1990's I 'discovered' photonovellas while conducting a
national search for culturally appropriate bilingual educational
materials for NC health departments.  As the State Training Coordinator
for women's health at the time, I was responsible for conducting
statewide training needs assessments, as well as developing and
coordinating training for health professionals in maternity and family
planning.

Serving the growing Hispanic population posed many challenges, e.g.,
lack of bilingual, bicultural staff, interpreters, and bilingual
materials. It was common for women to come into prenatal care late or
just show up in the emergency room at the time of delivery. Issues
voiced by providers included problems with no-shows, 'non-compliance,'
and perceptions that Latinos were 'difficult to reach,' and 'didn't like
groups.' The more I learned about literacy and cultural competency, I
realized that this probably had more to do with our lack of cultural
competency (individually and organizationally) and ineffective service
delivery strategies, than simply a lack of appropriate written materials
and problem patients. 

Similar to John and Laura, Paolo Friere, along with Malcom Knowles' work
(adult learning theory), were also inspirational to me.  From a systems
perspective, I saw the need to transform how we were teaching mandated
prenatal education- from a teacher or clinician-centered model to a
learner, patient or cultured-centered model.  To me, the photonovella
was a perfect tool to assist providers and educators who wanted to adopt
a participatory, empowerment-based approach. 

Using a collaborative development process, we wove together key content
taught in traditional prenatal education curricula, actual experiences
of Latino families and providers who serve them to create the De Madre A
Madre photonovellas.  Embedded in the stories are discussion 'sparks'
related to common issues and concerns (mental, emotional, social,
spiritual) experienced by women during and after pregnancy.  

As Julie and Mary mentioned, the women read the novella out loud like a
play (so those who can't read can still participate). While key health
messages are automatically addressed while reading the story, the dialog
focuses on the priorities, experiences, and questions of the group
members.  So they in effect tailor the session to their unique needs and
interests. This structure shifts the dynamics from a passive, lecture
style to an active, participatory one where everyone truly is a teacher
and a learner. 

The group process, what we now call the Teach-With-Stories(TWS) method,
fosters critical thinking, behavior change, and social support- all key
elements of health literacy.  Julie touched on its simplicity and
flexibility. It takes no more time than a traditional class and you can
weave in other activities or use it to supplement an exisiting
curriculum. And as Julie also mentioned, the photonovellas can still be
used for information dissemination and in one-on-one education.

As Mark suggests, the dynamics in making change in one' life or one's
family are complex and can be complicated to explain. We need to create
'space ' in our systems of care to address these types of needs and
realities.  It is at the heart of true health literacy. I think using
photonovellas with a participatory, group approach, like our TWS method,
gives providers and educators a practical and easy way to do this.

Susan

 

Auger Communications, Inc.

PO Box 51392

Durham, North Carolina 27717

tel:  919.361.1857

fax: 919.361.2284

email: auger at augercommunications.com
<mailto:auger at augercommunications.com> 

 

 

________________________________

From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of MarkH38514 at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:55 AM
To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2481] Re: Treatment refusal and verbal
abilitiesand phot...

Susan: 

 

This sounds promising. From my own experiences as a Psychologist and a
patient...

 

Because so much information about medical treatments and research is
focused on the patient,  health care providers don't always realize that
every disease is a family disease. 

 

Physicians are often frustrated by "non-compliant" patients (a
description I despise) who don't do what they're told--losing weight,
for example. But losing weight means you have to change what you eat and
that decision alone can create profound spousal, family, cultural and
religious conflicts. 

 

Plus, successful weight loss can be psychologically threatening to other
family members who can't or don't want to lose weight, or feel that
their spouse's weight loss will threaten the marriage because the spouse
may now be more attractive to the opposite sex. Sometimes family members
can sabotage one's best efforts to lose weight and keep it off.
Obviously there's more to weight loss than telling patients to lose
weight and giving them nutritional handouts. 

 

If you can find patients willing to talk honestly about these issues,
you may be able to identify possible barriers to healthy behavior and
provide some possible solutions in a format that's more meaningful than
just another medical handout. 

 

Mark

 

Mark Hochhauser, Ph.D.

Readability Consultant

3344 Scott Avenue North

Golden Valley, MN  55422

Phone: 763-521-4672

Fax: 763-521-5069    

Cell: 612-281-1517

email: MarkH38514 at aol.com

 

 





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