Hi Bill ... et all lurkers:
   
  I'm Nancy Hansen, Bill.  I am an adminstrator/practictioner for a midwestern community-based organization, which serves only adults with limited literacy skills.  
   
  For 2-3 years now we have been pushing, dragging, cajoling our learners to "get concerned" .. to be the spokespersons who address the social issue called "their right to good healthcare".  Basically ... it's been unsuccessful ... except for one fine gentleman from Iowa named Archie.
   
  How did you get an even younger group than this to do the following?
   
  You wrote:
  << Having youth present the problem to local hospital staff and community
leaders was a real eye opener and may be helpful as many of you look 
for ways to make health literacy more real to decision-makers in your
community. >> 

Indeed.  I agree that the patient (or prospective patient) make the best 'storytellers', if you will, and do get the undivided attention of the healthcare provider.  It's a tough project to initiate, however.  
   
  I'd be interesting in hearing from any of the other lurkers  about how they managed to jump the barriers of confidentiality and lack of self-confidence of adults served so that the learners can participate alongside the hospital personnel in making changes? And how are the learners being involved?  Are study circles the only way?  Or are there others?
   
  One of our hospital systems has applied for funding to carry out an initative that will begin the process of raising the public and healthcare providers' awareness about this being a real problem - "real" as in non-fiction ... not imagined, but real. Anyone using the AMA Health Literacy training materials and the "Ask Me 3" program?
   
  If funded, our agency will be asked to provide either our volunteers or our adult learners to sit on a panel to present/lead discussion for 5 healthcare facilities in our community-at-large about the health literacy topic.  
   
  I'm having some misgivings because in initial discussion with the grantwriter, I got the sense that there are nay-sayers out there - that there isn't a need, so say the authorities - the doctors - the healthcare provider. ("They may have a problem somewhere else, but WE surely do NOT," has been heard said.)  How would others suggest addressing that issue, although as yet the comment has not been made directly to me who could tell them differently?  
   
  I am enjoying this discussion thread.  Thanks for the comments.
   
  Nancy Hansen, Ex. Director
  Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council
  Sioux Falls, SD

William Smith <BSMITH at smtp.aed.org> wrote:
  Hi, all. 

My name is Bill Smith and I was privilege to be one of the committee
members on the Institute of Medicine's report, Health Literacy: A
Prescription to End the Confusion. I have been doing health education,
health communication and social marketing for years and it was eye
opener to take a health literacy frame for the problems so many people
face in dealing with our health system. 

I got excited about doing something about it after the Committee ended
and we adapted a AED program called Youth Mapping to the Health Literacy
topic. Youth Mapping was originally developed as a way to give high
school kids in disadvantaged settings the opportunity to develop
computer, public speaking and data collection skills. 

We worked with the IOM, Pinelas County Fla. and Harlem N.Y. to develop
a Youth Mapping of Health Literacy program. There is information about
it on our web site www.aed.org under Youth programs if you are
interested in more details. 

Having youth present the problem to local hospital staff and community
leaders was a real eye opener and may be helpful as many of you look for
ways to make health literacy more real to decision-makers in your
community. 

Wm. Smith
Executive Vice President
Academy for Educational Development
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

Organize policy until self-interest
does what justice requires.
Phone: 202-884-8750
Fax: 202-884-8752
e-mail: bsmith at aed.org
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