Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f9OLGv011020; Wed, 24 Oct 2001 17:16:57 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 17:16:57 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <35.1cc9a389.29088939@aol.com> 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: Plnenglish@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3421] Literacy testing in a health care setting X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10536 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_35.1cc9a389.29088939_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 5101 Lines: 81 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings, listers, The trend to test patients' literacy skills that Archie Willard brought up is an interesting one. After years of working in adult literacy and seeing how intimidating testing can be, I believe, like Ursula Parker, that this is a destructive practice. Thankfully, it is only embraced by a small number of health care providers. I believe it began because the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations added some guidelines to their patient and family education standards a few years ago. The standards require healthcare organizations to "take literacy levels into account." Some people thought that meant you had to test patients to determine their reading ability. I consulted the JCAHO standards department about this. They confirmed that testing is NOT required, and in fact, is not desirable. Another source of this practice, I believe, is the development of some specific tests for literacy in health care settings. These tests are quite effective, have good correlations with other tests, and are fine for use in research settings. However, for many reasons already cited by others, these tests are not appropriate for use in a general medical setting. Testing is a sure way to alienate many of your patients, no matter their reading abilities. Moreover, we don't need to test patients' literacy skills. For over 20 years, studies have shown that the majority of health care materials are not understandable to the majority of the public. And in today's more complicated health care environment, patients are expected to know and understand far more than ever before. The answer is to make all communication between health care providers and patients clear and easy-to-understand. We all need this kind of help. Let's be clear that low health literacy is not specific only to those people who have low overall literacy skills. Audrey Riffenburgh, MA President, Riffenburgh and Associates Specialists in Plain Language and Health Literacy since 1994 1606 Central SE Suite 201 Albuquerque, NM 87106 USA Phone: 505-242-5808 Fax: 505-246-9164 E-mail: plnenglish@aol.com "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Ghandi
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