AMIA Now!

May 25
25, 2010

Sandra Smith, MPH, PhD

Center for Health Literacy Promotion
` People
P l have
h the
th skills t use information
kill to i f ti
◦ Improve health behaviors
◦ Participate in healthcare

` Health Systems provide clear information

` & support
pp to facilitate
◦ Health promoting practices
Institute of Medicine 2004
Promote the health literacy of
persons with inadequate literacy skills
the population. DHHS, 2009

www.HealthyPeople.gov
` REALM
◦ Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine
◦ Word recognition test
◦ Davis et al 1993

` TOFHLA
◦ Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults
◦ Comprehension test
◦ P
Parker
k et all 1995
“the degree to which individuals have
the capacity to obtain, process, and
understand basic health information
and services needed to make appropriate
health decisions”
DHHS/NLM, Feb. 2000
` “Health literacy represents the cognitive and
social
i l skills
kill which
hi h determine
d t i the
th motivation
ti ti
and ability of individuals to gain access to,
understand and use information in ways
which promote and maintain good health”
health

Renkin & Nutbeam, 1998

Empowering persons
to use info & services
in progressively
more effective ways
to promote personal,
family, community
health
 Reflective Use Info
Critical reflection skills Gain p
power
Synthesis, Analysis Actively manage health
Change determinants of health

Personalize Info
Interactive Gain experience
Speaking Listening
Speaking, P ti i t in
Participate i healthcare
h lth
selfcare, dependent care

Functional Understand Info

Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmatic Gain knowledge
Comply
 It’s not the skill that
matters. It’s what the
skill enables you to do.

Literacy
always
l is
used for
practicall
purpose
` Two-part
T t function:
f ti
◦ Using information & services
◦ In ways that enhance health

` Asset for a health literate society

` Outcome of health promotion efforts
Skills Using info & svcs Ways that enhance health
LSP – Life Skills Progression
Wollesen & Pfeifer. (2006).
Baltimore: Brookes.

Health
H l h Literacy
Li Scales
S l
(Smith, 2009)
HealthLiteracyPromotion
HealthLiteracyPromotion.com
com
Smith, 2009
` pp
Take a multidimensional approach
◦ Low literacy = risk
◦ Functional Health Literacy = asset
` F
Focus on F i
Function
` Use/adapt FHL scales

` Contact me!
sandras@uw edu
sandras@uw.edu
HealthLiteracyPromotion.com
BeginningsGuides net
BeginningsGuides.net