Health Literacy Description
Objectives
The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) recognizes that many patients have difficulty understanding information offered by heath care providers. Health care information, encompassing everything from prescription drug instructions to insurance forms, contains complex, jargon-heavy text. Even individuals with high literacy levels may have trouble understanding and using health information.
Health literacy is "the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions". If patients have difficulty grasping the information the need to better manage their care, it is providers’ obligation to make that information more easily understood.
IHC is tackling this problem in part through production of a Health Literacy Toolkit. This toolkit will offer more information on the issue of health literacy, as well as tools for providers to improve their health communication.
Project Team
The project team includes Mary Ann Abrams, MD, MPH, of Iowa Health System, as well as representatives from the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa health care providers.
Construction Process
IHC is working with health care providers to continually identify new resources to place in the toolkit.
Status
The development of this toolkit, combined with IHC’s 2007 health literacy strategy, should provide a solid framework for provider improvement in health communications.
View the toolkits IHC will deploy in 2006 and their contents.
Resources for providers to ensure safe and effective long-term anticoagulation therapy in all care settings.
Information on how to deploy the NQF 30 Safe Practices.
Information that discusses how to better communicate medical information to patients.
Information on the monitoring and reporting of HAIs.
This process improvement method can help providers deliver more efficient care that saves resources and improves quality.
Resources for providers to avoid adverse drug events.
