Dear Readers,
 
There is nothing like sending a letter that contains errors to a Health Literacy Forum! Please forgive me. I know that my request is not relevant to the question of the week. I do hope that someone has had better luck finding funds.  I should have pointed out that we cannot use pharmaceutical company funds for these projects at the request of the physicians involved.
 
Thanks. My apologies.
 
Janet Green

-----Original Message-----
From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Janet Green
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:20 AM
To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1002] Re: [Health Literacy 998] Re: Health LiteracyDigest, Vol 21, Issue 16


I know my is not relevant to the question of the week. Are there any suggestions for where to find funding for printing costs for brochures  and booklets on various medical topics. The ACS and the NCI do not appear to offer funding for bilingual cancer booklets. We are in need of funding for two bilingual cancer booklets. Any help will be appreciated.
 
Thanks,
 
Janet Green MSPH
Senior Health Educator
Chinese Community Health Resource Center
San Francisco, Ca

-----Original Message-----
From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of lisa jones
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 11:31 AM
To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 998] Re: HealthLiteracy Digest, Vol 21, Issue 16







Great Wednesday question!

Here's a short list of what I think medical professionals need.

1.  We need to know who you are!  Not once in 10 years of practice (all in community health centers with high risk populations) has a literacy program dropped off anything at my office. Some docs might want to get their patients literacy assistance but have no idea where they can go..

2.  More education on health literacy.  One of the areas in which I do health literacy work is medical grand rounds.  There is a great interest in this topic from students, residents and some practicing docs.  My main struggle is in offering Continuing Medical Education credits to the docs that attend.  Since I am not affiliated with a medical school this is extremely hard to do.  I would welcome any suggestions!

3. More time and effort spent on encouraging patients to speak up!

4.  Support of innovative programs like Baby Basics (what to expect foundation) that integrate literacy and health information.

 

Short list but there you go.

Lisa M. Jones, MD

www.wellLifeEducation.com




 

 


  _____  

From: healthliteracy-request at nifl.gov
Reply-To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov
To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov
Subject: HealthLiteracy Digest, Vol 21, Issue 16
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:00:01 -0400

>Send HealthLiteracy mailing list submissions to

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>Today's Topics:

>

> 1. [HealthLiteracy 997] Re: Wednesday Question: Working Together

> (Nancy Hansen)

> 2. [HealthLiteracy 998] Re: Wednesday Question: Working Together

> (Laurie Anson)

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>Message: 1

>Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 09:41:04 -0700 (PDT)

>From: Nancy Hansen <sfallsliteracy at yahoo.com>

>Subject: [HealthLiteracy 997] Re: Wednesday Question: Working Together

>To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>Message-ID: <10179.23145.qm at web34709.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>

>Hi Janet and Everyone:

>

> Like you, Janet, I feel as though I stoked the fire in the previous discussion so even though I feel as though I've said my piece, here are a few things that I feel are important suggestions:

>

> The Wednesday question IS:

> <<What do YOU need to happen in order to help facilitate good relations,

>cooperation, and collaboration with the "other" field in improving clear

>information and better communication between health providers and

>patients with marginal literacy skills? >>

>

>The question should actually be what do our literacy level people need so "the fields" collaboratively assure quality healthcare for everyone. Before I reply to the Wednesday Question, I'd like to make a comment about this part of an email from health literacy consultant Lisa M. Jones, MD:

>

> << Can we please stop talking about doctors as the "bad guys"? ...

> Every doctor I have ever met (myself included) wants their patients

> to understand them and wants them to understand the information

> that we provide.

>

><< .... what is obvious to you as a literacy expert may not come

>naturally to physicians. There are very few people I have found that

>are comfortable working in both realms. ...We do after all have the

> same goal..patient health. >>

>

> First .... some doctors project the Bad Guy image without it even being said here. I for one never called doctors the Bad Guys. Lisa, we hear you -- you care about your patients and there are others you've met. But there are those who clearly are not caring providers, as demonstrated by their actions in the examining room.

>

> For a collaborative communication effort, I believe all healthcare providers need to *start* by saying verbally to their patients, in a believeable manner, what Lisa said above: The patient's good health is their biggest concern.

>

> As far as "the obvious" literacy expert opinion is concerned -- the next step must be for physician acceptance of the opinions of the literacy provider whose work with adults who can't read or comprehend well should add credibility to their suggestions.

>

> Now - onward to the Wednesday Question:

> The patient with marginal literacy skills needs to know they are accepted as a patient and as a person in their questioning process. So what do they need? Not a look of condemnation or impatience, but acceptance for the need they have just expressed.

>

> They need to be offered a smile and have their wishes be honored like every other patient who enters the waiting room. Take the time to talk to them so they don't feel as though they are being shoved to the side. Take away the feeling of fear that they might "be wrong and stupid again!"

>

> I'd say my biggest reccommendation is to designate one resource person in a health facility, if everyone else is too busy. They'd be the "go to" person who would start right at the beginning with a man or woman who asks for help as a new patient and has the courage to tell support staff that they can't read very well. The AMA put together a great training package ("Help Your Patient Understand") that includes a big yellow button that says: "Ask Me - I can help".

>

> Here's a few general things the healthcare provider could do:

> * Read aloud in a private area the medical forms if the patient asks for help.

> * Talk to them about their medical follow-up, rather than hand them printed information.

> * Help them evaluate their medicines in a "Brown Bag Evaluation" - another idea shown in the AMA DVD/audiotape.

> * During that Brown Bag session read the Rx labels of their current meds and assist the patient to identify when specifically they should take the meds.

> * Where do their new meds fit in? The non-reader likely will not know.

> * Tell the patient the warning signs if something should go wrong in their recovery period and give them specific directions on what to do. Please don't just hand them a brochure.

> * Please don't be judgemental if they call to ask for an answer after their appointment is over. Some will need extra time to think through what they heard said.

> * Communicate with them saying "No question is a dumb question."

> * Use the teach-back technique like we do in teaching reading.

>

> Working with "the other field":

> 1) I agree with Janet's wish list including being good listeners. That goes two ways -- Slow down the pace when asking this particular patient questions so they have time to think through what their answer will be.

>

> 2) Evaluate current written brochures with the local literacy people as a resource and then trust their opinion. In their literacy environment of trust an adult learner will identify which words they can or cannot read and understand.

>

> 3) So build trust with both the patient and their resources. Communicate in a caring way. I've had learners say to me, "But they don't have time (to answer my questions.)" Now whether or not that is an assumption or reality will depend on the individual case, I'm sure. But my request is: Slow Down.

>

> My opinion is the man or woman who is just beginning to learn to read in our beginning literacy programs would not have the guts to ask an authority in a white coat questions about their health unless barriers are pushed aside. In a great many instances they are afraid to ask for fear they won't even understand the answer to their question.

>

> Yes. I agree. There *should* be a willingness to work together because adequate and quality healthcare is a need of all patients -- even those with a disability - no matter what that disability might be - whether it is a visible or an invisible challenge. As I understand it, it's also a patient compliance issue. So when do we begin a nationwide project rather than have pockets of cooperative efforts as exhibited by some who are on this listserv?

>

> Nancy Hansen

> Literacy Provider

>

>Janet Sorensen <Jsorensen at afmc.org> wrote:

> As one of the instigators of the recent discussion, I'm glad to know I

>haven't been booted!

>

>It would help me immensely if physicians (and others, such as

>statisticians, CEOs and immediate supervisors) would recognize that we

>are experts in our field, just as they are experts in theirs.

>

>We have to do our part, of course, by actually being experts and acting

>like professionals. We must have the confidence to speak up. One of the

>writers I'm currently working with said, "Well, if Dr. So-and-So wants

>it this way, it's his article." Granted, that article was targeting

>providers and not patients. But my response was, "His name may be in the

>byline, but we are both working for the same organization. If it were

>truly his article, he would have to pay us as free-lancers and work off

>the clock."

>

>We also have to listen to each other and remember that respect is a

>two-way street. I've heard some writers and designers say very

>disrespectful things about our clinical consultants. If clinicians

>question our suggestions or have concerns about a change that we've made

>when editing, we have got to listen to them. They are experts too, and

>may have a legitimate point. If not, we need to be tactful and

>respectful in disagreeing. It might help to cite a source other than our

>own opinion. Physicians are being encouraged to do this -- it's called

>evidence-based medicine. So let's show them the evidence and try to be

>noncombative and helpful.

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov

>[mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Julie McKinney

>Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 11:32 AM

>To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov

>Subject: [HealthLiteracy 995] Re: Wednesday Question: Working Together

>

>Hi Everyone,

>

>I want to say that our recent discussion has been provocative and

>interesting! I very much appreciate Lisa's and Winston's views (see

>below), which reinforce the need to avoid blame and find ways for the

>literacy and health communities to work together. We both work with a

>large and needy population which can benefit tremendously from our

>skills, but our skills are very different. If we join forces

>effectively, it can make a huge impact on the health of millions of

>Americans.

>

>How many? Well, consider that 90 million adults have inadequate literacy

>skills, they all have children to care for, and even those additional

>millions with higher skills will still benefit from clearer information

>and more effective communication.

>

>A few weeks ago the Wednesday question was about the cultural gap

>between these two professions. Our recent discussion seems to confirm

>that this gap exists. (See the message from May 3rd, and the responses

>following):

>http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/healthliteracy/2007/000930.html

>

>I'm going to push this again, and ask those from the literacy AND the

>health/medical field this question:

>

>What do YOU need to happen in order to help facilitate good relations,

>cooperation, and collaboration with the "other" field in improving clear

>information and better communication between health providers and

>patients with marginal literacy skills?

>

>Please be specific. I hope to hear from both "sides"!!

>

>All the best,

>Julie

>

>**********************************************

>Julie McKinney

>Discussion List Moderator

>World Education/NCSALL

>jmckinney at worlded.org

>

> >>> "Winston Lawrence" 06/04/07 1:28 PM >>>

>Hi all; This is a great discussion on the role of providers in

>communicating simply with patients. Lisa, I think your comments are

>powerful in that you highlight the ease with which providers navigate

>their "health" world and the difficulty they have in working in the

>literacy world. In my own work in promoting partnerships between

>literacy programs and medical/health facilities, I can see the struggle

>that medical professionals have in coming to terms with seeing the issue

>from the patients perspective. And so I agree that BOTH sides have to

>work on this issue and that we should not single out the clinicians as

>the "bad" people. Fortunately, there is a growing number of physicians

>who are recognizing the problem and are willing to work with the

>literacy community to address this vexing problem.

>

>I really appreciate your thoughts on this matter.

>

>Winston

>

>--------------------------------------------------------------

>Winston Lawrence Ed. D

>Senior Professional Development Associate Literacy Assistance Center

>32 Broadway, 10th Floor

>New York, NY 10004

>Tel: 212-803-3326

>Fax: 212-785-3685

>Email: winstonl at lacnyc.org

>

>_______________________________

>

>

>Can we please stop talking about doctors as the "bad guys"? As a

>physician and health literacy consultant, it is these exact type of

>comments that make cooperating difficult. Every doctor I have ever met

>(myself included) wants their patients to understand them and wants them

>to understand the information that we provide.

>

>HOWEVER,keep in mind the following. I find it extremely simple and

>natural to diagnose a medical condition. You might struggle with that.

>Similarly , what is obvious to you as a literacy expert may not come

>naturally to physicians. There are very few people I have found that

>are comfortable working in both realms. Cooperation on both sides will

>ONLY come as the result of thinking the BEST of each other, not placing

>blame. We do after all have the same goal..patient health.

>

>Lisa M. Jones, MD

>

>www.wellLifeEducation.com

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

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>------------------------------

>

>Message: 2

>Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 14:05:54 -0400

>From: Laurie Anson <ansons at epix.net>

>Subject: [HealthLiteracy 998] Re: Wednesday Question: Working Together

>To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>Message-ID: <8712ACE9-8770-4342-B85F-24F31A550BD9 at epix.net>

>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

>

>I am an adult literacy tutor and trainer. I am also a nurse with over

>thirty years of experience in critical care, now in supervision. I

>volunteered for our health organization's committee on health

>literacy issues two years ago.

>

>We are presently trying to convert all our in-house patient

>information material to a "plain language" equivalent. When the print

>material is due to go back to the author for review and revision, we

>let them know our new goals for that material. The goals include

>plain language, lots of white space, etc. The material is reviewed

>for compliance before being re-released to the organization.

>

>What I see is the clinician concerned about WHAT information needs to

>be presented. He/she presents in the most efficient (to them) format,

>which often includes the medical jargon that we are all comfortable

>with and use on a daily basis. It is when the patient gets to the

>hospital that the staff finds the gaps in understanding that are

>usually the reason for re-admission. This is when the HOW is finally

>addressed.

>

>What I try to keep front and center in our discussions is that about

>one-third of our population is, for various reasons, not functionally

>literate. If we aim to that population with our information, then the

>stressed more-literate population can only benefit by information

>clearly presented.

>

>In order to accomplish this, we must recognize and respect the

>knowledge and expertise on all sides. We cannot gather and

>disseminate clear, accurate information without cooperation from all.

>

>Laurie Anson

>

>

>

>------------------------------

>

>----------------------------------------------------

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>End of HealthLiteracy Digest, Vol 21, Issue 16

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