Re: [NIFL-HEALTH:2977] Health and literacy collaborations

From: Nancy Arnold (arnoln@mmc.org)
Date: Thu Apr 05 2001 - 13:18:16 EDT


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Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 13:18:16 -0400
From: "Nancy Arnold" <arnoln@mmc.org>
To: <Plnenglish@aol.com>, <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov>, <nifl-health@nifl.gov>
Subject: Re: [NIFL-HEALTH:2977] Health and literacy collaborations
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Are there any efforts to educate Primary Health Care Providers about referring adult patients who want help with literacy skills to community education programs--e.g. Literacy Volunteers, Adult Ed, Family Literacy.  We are trying to figure this out in the Raising Readers program in Maine.

Nancy Arnold, MPH
Raising Readers
PO Box 17826
Portland, ME  04112
(207)  771-2004 ext. 225
(207) 771-2005 (fax)
arnoln@mmc.org


>>> Plnenglish@aol.com 04/05/01 01:04PM >>>
Greetings: 

Debbie Yoho wrote: <<<What I notice is literacy folk incorporating health 
information 
into literacy instructon, and health folk learning about the literacy problem 
and trying to write easier to read, but often neither effort involves much 
collaboration beween the two.  What do you think about this?>>>

I think you're right, Debbie. Both groups are becoming more aware of the 
issues and challenges but there isn't really much collaboration. I think it 
will increase as health care providers come to realize that the vast majority 
of the general public has difficulty with much of the printed materials they 
provide us as well as difficulty navigating the complex health care system in 
the US. My hope is that literacy programs can share their insights and advise 
health care providers in how to make their offices and systems more 
user-friendly. If adult learners are willing to say what makes things 
difficult, and health care providers invite them to say so, we can see real 
progress. 

Audrey Riffenburgh, MA
President, Riffenburgh and Associates
Specialists in Health Literacy and Plain Language 
1606 Central SE Suite 201
Albuquerque, NM  87106    USA 
Phone: 505-242-5808
Fax: 505-246-9164
E-mail: plnenglish@aol.com 

"You can't do much about the length of your life, but you can do something 
about its depth and breadth."  Evan Esar



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