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From: "Nancy Sledd" <nsledd@famlit.org>
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Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:2367] Archie Willard speaks about his "medical field" experiences
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Archie Willard posted this on the NLA listserv today, and I asked him if it was all right to crosspost to this list. He has given his permission. I thought folks on this list would appreciate his comments. Nancy Sledd
To: NLA@world.std.com
Subject: NLA Info: Canadian Literacy and Health Conference
From: Archie Willard <millard@netins.net>
Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 00:56:46 -0400
Reply-To: nla@europe.std.com
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I have been asked to attend the first Canadian Conference on Literacy
and Health in Ottawa, Ontario, May 28 - 30, 2000. The name of the
conference is “Charting the Course for Literacy and Health”. It is my
understanding that seven adult learners from Canada and six adult
learners from the US have been invited. Each of these adult learners
was asked to write about some of the experiences they have had with the
medical profession and bring these writings to the conference to be
posted. I would like to share what I have written with the NLA. Below
are my thoughts.
Before coming to this conference I was asked to write about my thoughts
and experiences, as an adult learner, in relation to the medical
community.
Adults with literacy problems and learning disabilities have a lot of
frustration and fear in their lives. Just going to new places is hard to
do. When you have literacy problems, it can be frightening to go to a
large city for the first time alone.
Going into a medical clinic to see a doctor can also be a fearful
experience. You go into the clinic knowing you will have to fill out a
lot of forms that are required just to get to see the doctor. After
filling out all the forms, you are taken into an examining room and your
blood pressure is taken -- it'’s high. Now you have to explain to the
doctor that you have a literacy problem and you get nervous when you
have to fill out forms. It'’s hard for your doctor or anyone else to
understand why just filling out some forms would make anyone nervous.
This can cause miscommunication between you and your doctor.
When you get home, it is time to take the medication the doctor
prescribed. Because of your anxiousness, you wonder if you got the
directions mixed up. Will you be taking the medicine correctly?
In the month of April three different doctors saw me. My first
experience was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for my yearly
check up. As I was checking in, the receptionist handed me a paper and
asked me to write down why I wanted to be seen at the Mayo clinic. I
thought for a moment and then I said that I was dyslexic and it would be
hard for me to do this. I told her why I was there and she wrote it down
for me. Later I was called into the examining room and was given a
physical. Just before I left I told the doctor about the literacy and
health conference that I would be attending. I asked him what kind of
problems he faced with patients that could not read. His face turned
red and my first thought was that he was angry. Then as he spoke I
could tell that he was not angry, but this was something he had never
talked about nor had he been trained in medical school to think about.
I feel that I embarrassed him and he found it hard to talk to a person
with a literacy problem about literacy. As I left his office, the only
thing he said was to keep doing the good work that you are doing.
The very next week I woke up with an earache and went to see my family
doctor. She examined me and said there was some redness inside my
ear. She then prescribed some pills for me to take. I asked her the
same question that I asked of the doctor at the Mayo Clinic. She talked
about a few patients with diabetes that had reading problems and about
them having problems following written directions in taking their
insulin. If there had been more time I think she would have told me
more stories. I then went to the drug store to get my prescription
filled. The pharmacist gave me the prescription and told me some of the
side effects of the drug. She talked so fast that I did not understand
all of what she said. I asked her a question about the pills. She told
me that there was a printout attached to the sack that the pills were in
and that I should read the printout. She then turned, picked up the
phone, and made a call.
My third visit was to a dermatologist. After she examined me, she
decided on a treatment. I then asked her the same question about
literacy that I had asked of the first two doctors. She said that I was
the only person she knew with a literacy problem. I think she was
having a bad day and I don'’t think she wanted to talk about this
subject. But, I also think she is a good doctor and a nice person who
found it hard to discuss literacy issues.
I feel that health professionals don’t have enough time or take the time
to talk (and listen) to people and somewhere along the way we have lost
our ability to speak plain English and write plain English. I feel
there is a gap between health professionals and adult learners. People
with literacy problems and learning disabilities have a hidden handicap
that cannot be seen and it'’s hard for others to understand.
A quote from Fred M. Epstein, M.D., of New York, who is dyslexic, "We're
wired differently, that'’s all. If we were in the majority we'd have to
figure out how to teach them."”
Archie Willard
Adult Learner
--
Archie Willard
Eagle Grove, IA 50533
millard@netins.net
PHN - 515-448-3213
FAX - 515-448-3480
URL - http://207.28.234.137/archiew.html
--
Nancy Sledd, NIFL-Family list moderator
National Center for Family Literacy
325 W. Main St., Ste. 200
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: 502-584-1133 x 142
Fax: 502-584-0172
E-mail: nsledd@famlit.org
--
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