We are pleased to announce that the third version of wellzone.org launched
a month ago with a greater focus on low health literacy.

I welcome comments and suggestions regarding our website.  This discussion
list has been invaluable in locating Internet resources for low literacy,
and I look forward to finding more links to everyday language.  For
example, I have not yet identified a women's health or reproductive health
site in everyday language.

I hope you have an opportunity to tour the website.  An anonymous online
survey is located on the home page in the "Contact Us" section.  If you
would like free posters, bookmarks and referral pads promoting the website,
please contact me.  We also have health information referral pads for
community health clinics or libraries; the staff can fill in the blank,
"For more information about__, go to wellzone.org."

Currently, we are searching for a health reviewer for accreditation of
health content.  We are especially interested in public health schools,
such as Health Literacy Studies at Harvard School of Public Health.  If
anyone knows of health professionals who may be interested in contracting
with us, please let me know.  I am also preparing to contact the Health
Information on the Internet Foundation in Geneva for accreditation as well.

   Free to the public from any Internet connection, wellzone.org is a
   portal designed for those 90 million Americans looking for basic health
   information in everyday language (ideally 3rd to 6th grade).
   Unfortunately, most health information on the Internet is at a 10th
   grade level or higher.  Talking guides provide a brief tour of the home
   page, with some health topics in audio and video formats and a variety
   of languages.

   The Wellness Information Zone (WZ) is a health literacy project offering
   easy access to basic health information in everyday language.   Project
   components are 1) the website, 2) WZ Centers in libraries and
   nonprofits, and 3) librarians and volunteers as trained health
   information guides.  The Humana Foundation created WZ in partnership
   with Libraries for the Future; other partners include National Center
   for Family Literacy, the Clear Language Group, public library systems in
   Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Houston, and nine Louisville sites--community
   health clinics, elementary schools and YMCAs.

The basic concept of wellzone.org is fairly simple:

One)  About 84% of people seeking e-health information have a specific
disease or condition in mind.  From the home page, under "Diseases and
Conditions," we offer a list of approximately 60 of the most commonly
researched diseases with immediate links to content in everyday language
from four websites  (healthyroadsmedia.org, familydoctor.org,
kidshealth.org, and healthinfotranslations.org).  The search box on the
home page searches only those four sites; however, if the search is
unsuccessful, we plan to direct the consumer to three advanced websites (
medlineplus.gov, healthfinder.gov, mayoclinic.co), which are found at the
bottom of our website's inner pages.

Two)  We currently link the other two main boxes of the home page (Being
Smart About Health Care, and Health Living) to 31 other sites, most being
in everyday language.

This Website is a work in progress.  We are negotiating another contract
with our web designer, 352 Media Group, and have a two-page list of
improvements\enhancements.  These proposed enhancements include an Hispanic
version of the home page, a seniors section, a children's section, a site
map, and a section on health information in various translations.

Last month, many participants at the CDC Conference on Health
Communication, Media, and Marketing in Atlanta visited our booth and toured
the website.  Feedback was very positive.

Thank you.

Charles Jackson
Project Manager
Humana Foundation, 500 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202
502-580-1245 telephone\voice-mail
502-580-1256 fax

The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain CONFIDENTIAL material.  If you receive this material/information in error, please contact the sender and delete or destroy the material/information.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/healthliteracy/attachments/20080911/f4a5bf32/attachment.html