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 g4SKfJO02348; Tue, 28 May 2002 16:41:20 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 16:41:20 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <00b901c20687$b9273020$098f2344@montbl01.nm.comcast.net> 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: Audrey Riffenburgh <ar@plainlanguageworks.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3713] Partnerships between adult literacy students and medical practitioners X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 Status: O Content-Length: 2119 Lines: 42 Greetings, I read Mr. Archie Willard's announcement of the medical team attending the New Readers for New Life conference (NIFL-Health 5/24) with great interest and pleasure. Mr. Willard and I have been colleagues and friends for years and have often talked about how much adult learners could teach medical providers. This is indeed a momentous event and, I hope, the first of many such partnerships. In the fall of 2000, I presented on health literacy issues at the American Academy of Family Physicians' Patient Education conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since I am based in Albuquerque, it was possible for me to partner with three local adult literacy students (leaders in our statewide student organization) as co-presenters and actors in a skit about being in a medical setting and not being able to read. The workshop was very successful! Participant evaluations indicated it was extremely helpful to hear the voices of adult literacy students who were willing to speak out and share their perspectives. Many participants said they had not previously been able to imagine what it would be like to have limited literacy skills and, in fact, had doubted that there really was a literacy problem in the US. Partnerships such as these will help us advance the field of health literacy as well as assist health care providers in advancing the health of adults with limited literacy skills. And now, let us not forget, that the vast majority of printed health care materials are *also* very difficult for average and above average readers to comprehend. Let's remember not to place the lack of communication with health care providers at the feet of adults with limited literacy skills. Health care providers must learn how to communicate effectively, in print and verbally, with all patients for whom medical language is incomprehensible at worst and irritating at best. Audrey Riffenburgh President, Riffenburgh & Associates P.O. Box 6670 Albuquerque, NM 87197-6670 Phone: (505) 345-1107 Fax: (505) 345-1104 E-mail: ar@plainlanguageworks.com Specialists in Plain Language & Health Literacy since 1994
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