| This
half-hour program comprised of a physician, nurse educator,
and health communications expert and patient exams effective
strategies that help facilitate greater understanding between
patient and health professionals.
Health literacy is when health providers and patients truly
understand one another. As medical knowledge expands and new
treatments are introduced, it is becoming increasingly clear
that there is a need for better communication between physicians,
other healthcare professionals and patients. In many cases,
physicians may speak a language that is too technical and
quite literally, foreign to the average individual. Additionally,
a significant number of patients, especially the elderly and
immigrants, may not read well, and are thus unable to read
medical forms, understand consent agreements, and even take
medications in the appropriate manner. As more Americans are
becoming responsible for healthcare decisions, the need to
improve physician/patient communication and joint decision-making
becomes paramount. Understanding verbal and non-verbal cues,
using pictures to illustrate a point, and incorporating “teach-back”
techniques will also be examined during this segment.
Health Literacy Definition: The degree
to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process,
and understand basic health information and services needed
to make appropriate health decisions.
(source: Definition of Health Literacy Healthy People
2010*) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/
Dr. Terry Shlimbaum
|
Lois Greene
|
Helen Osborne |
Gideon Sofer
|
*Click on the guest photos to
learn more about them
|
