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 f9QJv9007132; Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:57:09 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:57:09 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <b9.15c007db.290b18e0@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: Dwyoho@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3433] On the credibility of health literacy efforts 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_b9.15c007db.290b18e0_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 6811 Lines: 89 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/26/2001 1:16:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time, levesqjr@webster.edu writes: > I seriously question > however how Jane Doe, a woman with an eighth grade reading ability could > make a > Congratulations, Jeri, on your good decision making and positive outcome. I'm sure that a good deal of personal courage, and confidence in yourself, were also necessary in addition to all the other factors. I so appreciate your broadening this discussion beyond the problem of print materials, and the suggestions you offered of valuable resources that many on the list will no doubt want to check out. Your comments were a poignant reminder of how a lack of reading skills can be such a limiting factor in someone's life, even to the point of matters of life and death. I just wanted to note your subtle implication that the "woman with an eighth grade education" should and could be helped to take charge of her health. I fear that too often helpers give up way too soon and perhaps conclude, rightly or wrongly, that the patient just isn't capable of understanding all the nuances and choices involved in healthy decision-making. If we assume a concensus at least among subscribers to this list that everyone should have access to understandable health information, it seems to me the next question is: How far can we reasonably expect health care providers to extend, change, or initiate efforts to communicate with low literacy patients? In my work as a literacy practitioner, I know that the main ingredient for success is personalized and timely attention to individual needs addressed through a true partnership of learner and instructor. But as you eloquently illustrated, a partnership of doctor and patient is a rare occurence, for many reasons. While I feel that we should advocate for better communication between physician and patient, more and more I think we should also call for the hiring of health educators up and down the entire system, not just in public health clinics. But I find this idea is often met with doubt that anyone but a doctor can be trusted to provide accurate health information. Yet we are long, long past the days when doctors were able to spend the time to get to know their patients and their families and work with them, rather than on them. Plus, I think the stigma suffered by low literacy patients is also often applied to those who genuinely struggle to work with them. If these ideas ring true, what could be done to strengthen the legitimacy of the use of plain language strategies, even to the point where no self-respecting doctor would think to practice medicine without a communications specialist as part of the team? Deborah W. Yoho Co-moderator, NIFL Health Literacy Discussion Group Chief Executive Officer Greater Columbia Literacy Council 921 Woodrow Street Columbia, SC 29205 803/765-2555 dwyoho@aol.com
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