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 i58L42918937; Tue, 8 Jun 2004 17:04:02 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 17:04:02 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <19B77161-B98F-11D8-958A-00039381D39E@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: David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4438] Re: Which Test? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.553) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 2502 Lines: 61 NIFL Health Colleagues, I have not seen the REALM before, so thanks, Carol, for the Web page. Now that I have seen it, I am concerned. It is not clear to me what this assessment measures. It doesn't measure grade level, which is what it appears to report, and it doesn't measure comprehension. It appears to measure one's ability to pronounce medical vocabulary. I, for one can probably pronounce hundreds of medical words which I do not understand the meaning of. And I know people who do understand the meaning of some medical words but cannot pronounce them. So, can someone explain what this assessment does validly measure? I also have some concerns about administering literacy assessments in medical contexts. If someone comes in for medical help, isn't it the institution's or agency's responsibility to provide medical help, not to assess their literacy. For example, at least one hospital in Boston does not bring up literacy, per se. Instead, patients with diseases or medical conditions are told "You have a disease that you need to learn about. What ways would you prefer to learn about it? Would you like to talk with someone? Read about it? Watch a video?" Patients who do not choose to read may or may not have difficulty reading, but that isn't the problem. Especially a time of crisis is not the time to confront problems of literacy. The problem is how to help patients learn what they need to in ways which work best for them. Others views on this? Do you use the REALM? How? Why? Please help me to understand the conditions under which it would be useful. Have I missed something? Thanks, David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net On Tuesday, June 8, 2004, at 04:37 PM, Walter F. Wallace wrote: > Tx everyone for the leads on REALM...got to the heart of the matter... > > Walter > > Walter F. Wallace > ACGME Regulations Manager > GME Office > Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center > 603-653-0466 (V) > 603-653-0405 (F) > Pager 5860 > ******************************************** > IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THIS MESSAGE > This e-mail transmission is for the sole use of the intended > recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. > Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution violates > confidentiality and privacy laws, and is prohibited. If you are not > the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and > destroy all copies of the message. Thank you for your cooperation. >
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