Jan wrote:  

 

"I think we are spending too much time contemplating for want of a
better word, blame - as in, who is responsible and who should we try to
correct or fix."

 

Actually, while I am not blaming, in order to solve the problem, we need
to identify it. Problem is that health providers don't communicate well
with patients or the public at large. So, either we bring the health
literacy of 300 million Americans up to the level of the providers, or
we work with providers so that they can learn to better communicate with
the public.  

 

In our program we spend a lot of time working with students building
their health literacy skills. We also work with providers to try to help
them understand the issues. However, we only reach a minuscule group.

 

To bring improvements to the system we need funding and we need to
improve the delivery of a service which I consider a public and human
right. The health establishment has more money than the literacy
establishment and they have a greater ability to change. They need to
invest their $$$$$ to bring improvements to the services that they
provide.

 

We need to continue to educate our students and the public at large. We
also need to educate the health providers that hey need to make
significant changes. Some are changing with our education and our input.
We need to continue to push for changes.

 

Andres

________________________________

From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Jan Potter
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 5:08 AM
To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 300] Literacy

 

I think we are spending too much time contemplating for want of a better
word, blame - as in, who is responsible and who should we try to correct
or fix.  I believe the secret is to encourage a system of teamwork.  We
have developed a set of bulletin boards and posters on many different
health issues and the "punch line" is always "it's your body, ask - be
on the team" which is an empowering message that both patients and
doctors can buy into.  These are done as a comic strip type set of
graphics such as:
http://www.gha.org/pha/resources/bulletinboards/health_literacy/index.as
p and
http://www.gha.org/pha/resources/bulletinboards/HealthLit2005/index.asp
or http://www.gha.org/pha/resources/bulletinboards/coloncancer/index.asp


 

Some are more topical to get a specific message across:
http://www.gha.org/pha/resources/bulletinboards/stroke/index.asp 

 

These are done in such a way that they can be downloaded and a bulletin
board created at the local site for next to nothing.  While not all of
them are low literacy, they are designed to be flashy and eye-catching
and, again, the iterative message is, "it's your body, ask."  

 

Jan Potter, MSTC

Safety Communications Specialist

Partnership for Health and Accountability

770-249-4549

www.gha.org/pha <http://www.gha.org/pha>  

 

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast
it."    William James

 

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