Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id KAA07040; Fri, 25 Feb 2000 10:47:12 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 10:47:12 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20000225103920.007be680@longwood.lwc.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Beth Poore-Bowman <sahec@longwood.lwc.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:2229] Re: It's a control issue X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) Status: OR At 05:38 AM 2/25/00 -0500, you wrote: >I was very interested in Marsha's letter. To what can the $73 billion be >attributed to? repeat lab tests, misuse of medication, missed appointments? Here's an old story to help answer the question. I frequently use it to illustrate the workshops I do for nurses on why literacy should matter to them . . . A renal failure patient was admitted with high potassium levels to the ICU of a local hospital. She was disoriented and quite ill. Part of her treatment involved inducing frequent bowel movements which appeared abnormal. The results of the evaluation of her stools revealed thousands of banana seeds. (for those of you who might not know, bananas are one of the highest sources of dietary potassium and a big no-no for those with kidney failure) When the patient recovered enough to talk to us, she told us she wasn't sure she wanted to live if all she could eat was bananas. In her purse we found a diet sheet given to her by a health care worker. A picture of bananas had been carefully circled. Unfortunately, our patient was unable to read the diet and couldn't remember the instructions. All she knew was that among pictures of many foods, bananas had been circled. This "mistake" resulted in several days of ICU care, several days of inpatient care and lots of pain and suffering for the patient. This is a true story. Everywhere I go to do my workshops I hear simillar stories. The stories we tell are a great hook to get people interested in this issue and then we go on to talk about clear verbal communications and the use of plain language materials as back up. Beth Poore-Bowman, RN, FNP Nurse Practioner, Longwood Student Health Services Phone: (804) 395-2102 Email: BBowman@Longwood.lwc.edu Health Educator, Southside Area Health Education Center (SAHEC) Phone: (804) 395-2863 Fax: (804) 395-2864 Email: SAHEC@Longwood.lwc.edu Longwood College 201 High St. Farmville, VA 23909
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