David's question about health care-contextualized basic skills reminded
me of an excellent book I read about a literacy program for employees at
a hospital.

[Gowen SG. The politics of workplace literacy: a case study. New York,
N.Y.: Teachers College Press 1992.]

One of the issues raised was that the hospital was interested, in part,
in teaching the literacy skills in order to exert greater control over
their workers and limiting their own liability for needle sticks and the
like (as in now they can read the sign and it is their responsibility to
be careful not ours to better manage the environment). It is a very
interesting study. Of course, the skills are important as David writes
as contextualized workplace basic skills, but I personally do not think
they are part necessarily of health literacy as it has been defined.


Susan Koch-Weser
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Health and Family Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
617-636-4033


djrosen1 wrote:

> Hello Julie,

> 

> Here are two questions for you, for those attending the learning  

> institute in Calgary, and for the discussion list.

> 

> 1. My understanding has been that health literacy refers to helping  

> patients get heath information in ways that they can understand it,  

> for example, in materials written in plain language. It also includes  

> health practitioners communicating in ways that patients can  

> understand, for example by using plain English, drawings,  

> illustrations, and good metaphors. The goal from the health  

> practitioner or health educator side is communicating health  

> information so that patients can understand, in many cases so that  

> they can change their behaviors and live healthier lives.

> 

> The question

> 

>> - Should special attention be paid to health care  workers with low  

>> literacy?

> 

> appears to broaden the definition to include contextualized basic  

> skills (reading, writing, numeracy, computer skills) for health care  

> workers, perhaps to enable them to fill health care positions in  

> great demand.

> 

> My question: is healthcare-contextualized workplace basic skills part  

> of the definition of health literacy? Or is this different, not  

> health literacy but contextualized workplace basic skills, and also  

> important?

> 

> 2. I am interested in health care contextualized basic skills  

> curriculum (English language for immigrants, high school completion,  

> college preparation), especially if it is primarily delivered online.  

> My question is, what organizations are creating such online basic  

> skills health care curriculum,  for whom, and where?

> 

> David J. Rosen

> djrosen1 at gmail.com

> 

> On Oct 15, 2008, at 12:49 AM, Julie McKinney wrote:

> 

>> Hi Everyone,

>>

>> I am on my way to a learning institute in Calgary sponsored by The

>> Centre for Literacy and Bow Valley College.

>>

>> The topic is: Constructing Curriculum for Health Care Providers

>>

>> See the info at this link:

>> http://www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca/whatsnew/Health+Lit_Oct_08.pdf

>>

>> I'd love to bring your opinions to the table as we discuss this issue.

>> Please write in your thoughts on any of the following questions, and I

>> can share them with the group of international participants:

>>

>> - Who is creating health literacy curricula and for whom?

>> - Who in the health care sector needs health literacy curricula?

>> - Should health literacy curricula have a common core for all in the

>> health care sector?

>> - Where is the space for health literacy in professional curricula?

>> - Should special attention be paid to health care  workers with low

>> literacy?

>> - Where are the promising practices of teaching and learning that

>> incorporate cultural diversity, adult literacy and health?

>>

>> I look forward to hearing from you!

>>

>> All the best,

>> Julie

>>

>>

>> Julie McKinney

>> Health Literacy List Moderator

>> World Education

>> jmckinney at worlded.org

>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> National Institute for Literacy

>> Health and Literacy mailing list

>> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>> Email delivered to djrosen1 at gmail.com

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

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> Health and Literacy mailing list

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> Email delivered to skochw01 at tufts.edu


-- 
************************************************
Susan Koch-Weser, ScD
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Health and Family Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
617-636-4033
*************************************************