Health literacy and our right to information we can understand 21 September 2012 Rosemary Knight Health systems and organisations Health providers Patients

Consumers’ Rights Right 5(1) information you can understandRight 5(2) an open, honest environmentRight 6(1) information to make a good decision

Literacy – much more than reading and writing $$$

Levels 1 and 2 43% Level 3 38% Levels 4 and 5 19% What do we know about the literacy of New Zealanders? Ministry of Education

…ability to obtain, process, understand, and use information and services… Institute of Medicine still internationally accepted

…capacity to communicate so that consumers can make informed decisions, and take action to protect and promote their health…

…the communication component of healthcare the person giving information and the person hearing or reading it understand each other you can get the healthcare you need, in your own social context and your own community +

Why is health literacy important? the personal and economic impact of low health literacy poor health outcomes medication errors poor decisions unplanned hospital admissions missed screening opportunities costly healthcare – 4x

What do we know about the health literacy of New Zealanders? 1,626,000 adults in NZ (56.2%) have low health literacy ( Workbase/Ministry of Health: Kōrero Mārama 2010) Health systems and organisations Health providers Patients

What other factors affect health literacy ? age culture disability emotions

How does health literacy affect people’s lives? Fadiman Anne The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Gawande Atul Complications, Better, The Checklist Manifesto Lanchester John Chapter 19 of Capital Osborne Helen Health Literacy from A to Z

Why is health information hard for many people? complexity volume of information language – technical language – jargon

What can NZ do about low health literacy? Health systems and organisations Health providers Patients

What can a health organisation do to develop the health literacy of its community?

What can patients do to become more health literate?

What can health providers do to support a person’s health literacy?

Some tools to develop the health literacy of all patients Use plain language Ask Me 3 TM Teach-back

Plain language features Think of your listener or reader Know your purpose Organise your content Put your main message up front Use you and we Use short sentences Use everyday, familiar words Get the tone right Three approaches to plain language © Write Limited 2012

Plain language featuresThe first time test Think of your listener or reader Know your purpose Organise your content Put your main message up front Use you and we Use short sentences Use everyday, familiar words Get the tone right The listener/reader can understand your information the first time they hear/read what you say. Three approaches to plain language © Write Limited 2012

Plain language featuresThe first time testFeeling/reaction Think of your listener or reader Know your purpose Organise your content Put your main message up front Use you and we Use short sentences Use everyday, familiar words Get the tone right The listener or reader can understand your information the first time they hear/read what you say. The 4 C’s - a sense of: courtesy clarity comfort or ease connection Three approaches to plain language © Write Limited 2012

Having health literacy is not about knowing medical words

What can you do about the words? Know who your audience/reader is Explain a word the patient needs to know, then you can use it Replace a medical word the patient doesn’t need to know with plain English words – download ‘Unravelling Medical Jargon’ free from

What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this? Ask Me 3 TM

Teach-back

New Zealand articles Health Literacy for Nurses, a Position Statement (2010) – NZNO and the College of Nurses Aotearoa, a joint project Working to Improve Health Literacy: what’s health literacy and why should nurses know about it? – Jill Clendon in Kai Tiaki, July 2012 Health Literacy: patient-centred communication is still the answer – Shelley Jones in Nursing Review, due 21 Sept 2012.

You can’t tell by looking – YouTube video Real interviews – about 20 minutes Helen Osborne podcasts and transcripts Can listen or print New Zealand websites and Sandra Fisher-Martins – 15 minute video Put her name in the search box

Nursing Review discount offer pay $36 instead of $54 – tell friends/colleagues click on subscription tab, top bar on subscription page, question 2 – at ‘Special Promo Offer’, enter quantity – at ‘Discount Code’ enter PDRP – includes print copy and online access access to Reading, Reflection and application in Reality (RRR) – the interactive pdf for the professional development exercise = 45 minutes of contact time

Health systems and organisations Health providers Patients Thank you