On my more frustrating days, I agree, somewhat. However, you can put the
responsibility on the institutions etc and challenge them all you want but
this does NOT mean they have the skills or understanding to develop the
products that people will understand. I currently am working with the health
education staff at a large healthcare system. They can run the readability
scales through the tests but they still do not understand at a deeper level
the difference between "reading" and "comprehension." Only the people who
have worked with the more "vulnerable at risk populations" can understand
what this really looks like. We need to continue to push for partnerships
between the people working with the more vulnerable populations and the
institutions to learn together. What now is becoming a barrier is that many
institutions do have their own "health literacy experts" on staff. These
individuals are now turning out improved readability documents...but it's
not enough. We need to explore ways to make the information "contextual."
What's the background for this document (ex. Patient Bill of Right?) What
does a person need to have in terms of background knowledge to make this
piece of paper "memorable" in the context of their life experience. But this
opens another can of worms because of the many different sub-populations.

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Audrey Riffenburgh <
ar at plainlanguageworks.com> wrote:


>  Greetings, all,

>

>

>

> Fran, I DO say “this makes sense for everyone” and it's true. If you look

> at the NAAL health literacy data, you’ll see that “only 12% of the

> population is proficient" in the tasks required for health literacy. But I

> think we need to turn that on its head and say “the health, medical, and

> insurance industries have built systems that do not work for 88% of their

> intended audiences.” I think we ought to start using *that* kind of

> labeling.

>

>

>

> As we make the case, we don’t have to point out any specific “at risk”

> populations because 88% of us are at risk of not being able to handle the

> systems that we’re forced to use to get our health care, learn about healthy

> choices, etc. We need to make the case for change from *that* perspective

> and challenge the institutions, corporations, agencies, etc. to recreate

> systems and processes that work for everyone, no matter their educational,

> literacy, or language skills. That is their responsibility, I believe! In

> communication, whether patient education, technical writing, social

> marketing, or advertising, the writers’/speakers’ first task is to know

> their audience and customize to the audience’s needs and interests. That

> means one does not use methods that reach only 12% of your audience! Let’s

> put the responsibility where it should be.

>

>

>

> Audrey Riffenburgh, M.A., President

> Plain Language Works, LLC

>

> Specialists in Plain Language & Health Literacy since 1994

>

> Based Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

> Phone: (505) 345-1107   E-mail: ar at plainlanguageworks.com

>

> ========================================

> Principal and Founding Member, www.clearlanguagegroup.com

> Co-founder and former Faculty, www.healthliteracyinstitute.net

> Ph.D. Student in Health Communication, Univ. of New Mexico

>

>

>

>

>

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

>

> > From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:

> healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]

>

> > On Behalf Of Frances E. Robinson

>

> > Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 8:20 AM

>

> > To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List

>

> > Subject: [HealthLiteracy 3673] Re: Simulated Hospital Patients

>

> >

>

> > I agree completely that labeling seems inappropriate and often unkind.

>

> > Unfortunately, as long as we still need to constantly "make the case" to

>

> > disbelievers of the need for health literacy advocacy, we will still need

> to identify

>

> > the "at-risk" populations.  Evidence and statistics help to convince the

> skeptics,

>

> > but data needs to be "labeled."  If only we could just say, "This makes

> sense for

>

> > everyone..."

>

> >

>

> > Fran Robinson

>

> > Patient Education Coordinator

>

> > Patient Education Services

>

> > Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

>

> > One Medical Center Drive

>

> > Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756

>

> > (603) 650-6439

>

> >

>

> > --- You wrote:

>

> > I am missing why the patient needs to be labelled at all--everyone of us

> in some

>

> > situation has problems understanding because of our capacity (variable

> over time

>

> > and situation) and the demands placed on us.  These situations are too

> common

>

> > to even need to label the person.

>

> >

>

> > Connie Davis, MN, RN

>

> > Co-director, Health Literacy in Communities Prototype Collaborative

>

> > Senior Faculty

>

> > Impact BC

>

> >

>

> > 450 - 1385 West 8th Avenue

>

> > Vancouver, BC V6H 3V9

>

> >

>

> > cell: 604 991-4563

>

> > Tel: 604 742-1772

>

> > Toll Free: 1 888 742-1772

>

> > Fax: 604 742-1773

>

> >

>

> > Email: cdavis at impactbc.ca

>

> > Web: www.impactbc.ca

>

> > ________________________________________

>

> > From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]

> On

>

> > Behalf Of IHABRAMSON at aol.com [IHABRAMSON at aol.com]

>

> > Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 2:29 PM

>

> > To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov

>

> > Subject: [HealthLiteracy 3666] Re: Simulated Hospital Patients

>

> >

>

> > Rima,

>

> >

>

> > Depending on the situation, I have used other terms such as

> "undereducated

>

> > adults."  By the way, we once had a governor here in Michigan who shared

> the

>

> > sentiment you refer to [you had your chance] - and he promptly made cuts

> to

>

> > many adult education programs.

>

> >

>

> > Ilene

>

> >

>

> >

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > In a message dated 11/2/2009 1:58:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>

> > rrudd at hsph.harvard.edu writes:

>

> > Ilene,

>

> > Yes, that is true but illiteracy is such a loaded word -- it has become a

> label

>

> > shaded by blame [you had your chance] and filled with shame and a sense

> of

>

> > disgrace.  I would not use it as a metaphor.

>

> > Rima....

>

> >

>

> > Rima E. Rudd, ScD, MSPH

>

> > Department of Society, Human Development & Health

>

> > Harvard School of Public Health

>

> > 677 Huntington Avenue

>

> > Boston MA 02115

>

> > Phone: 617 432 1135

>

> > fax:     617 432 3123

>

> > web:

>

> > www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy<

> http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliterac

>

> > y>

>

> > www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstogether<

> http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstoget

>

> > her>

>

> >

>

> > >>> <IHABRAMSON at aol.com> 11/1/2009 11:45 AM >>>

>

> > Thank you for your response, Rima.  A lot depends on how one defines

> illiteracy.

>

> >

>

> > Ilene

>

> >

>

> >  In a message dated 11/1/2009 11:40:32 AM Eastern Standard Time,

>

> > rrudd at hsph.harvard.edu writes:

>

> > Please keep in mind that while many people may struggle with the written

> word,

>

> > very few people in the US are illiterate.

>

> > Rima

>

> >

>

> > Rima E. Rudd, ScD, MSPH

>

> > Department of Society, Human Development & Health

>

> > Harvard School of Public Health

>

> > 677 Huntington Avenue

>

> > Boston MA 02115

>

> > Phone: 617 432 1135

>

> > fax:     617 432 3123

>

> > web:

>

> > www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy<

> http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliterac

>

> > y>

>

> > www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstogether<

> http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstoget

>

> > her>

>

> >

>

> > >>> <IHABRAMSON at aol.com> 10/30/2009 2:13 PM >>>

>

> > Hello Everyone.

>

> >

>

> > I am in the process of preparing a curriculum involving simulated

> hospital patients,

>

> > particularly those who might be illiterate, and was wondering if anyone

> had

>

> > sample material to share. Given all our tight schedules, it's never great

> to re-

>

> > invent the wheel. Thank you in advance.

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > Ilene

>

> >

>

> > Ilene Abramson, Ph.D.

>

> > Member- Policy Committee

>

> > Michigan Board of Pharmacy (2009 - 2011)

>

> >

>

> > Member - Rules Committee (2009-2012)

>

> > Michigan Board of Respiratory Care

>

> >

>

> > ihabramson at aol.com<mailto:ihabramson at aol.com>

>

> > Tel:    248-926-0695

>

> > Fax:   248-926-9080

>

> >

>

> >

>

> >

>

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

>

> > National Institute for Literacy

>

> > Health and Literacy mailing list

>

> > HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>

> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> > Email delivered to ihabramson at aol.com

>

> >

>

> >

>

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

>

> > National Institute for Literacy

>

> > Health and Literacy mailing list

>

> > HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>

> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> > Email delivered to ihabramson at aol.com

>

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

>

> > National Institute for Literacy

>

> > Health and Literacy mailing list

>

> > HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>

> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> > Email delivered to frances.e.robinson at hitchcock.org

>

> > --- end of quote ---

>

> >

>

> >

>

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

>

> > National Institute for Literacy

>

> > Health and Literacy mailing list

>

> > HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>

> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>

> > Email delivered to ar at plainlanguageworks.com

>

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

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> Email delivered to njmeyers at gmail.com

>

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