Increasing Health Literacy to Change Health Outcomes Alice M. Horowitz, PhD Oral Health Literacy for Health Center Populations National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research National Institutes of Health U. S. Department of Health and Human Service National Primary Oral Health Care Conference

Objectives  To describe why addressing health literacy is vital to accomplishing Healthy People 2010 goals & objectives  To define oral health literacy  To review health literacy efforts to date  To consider what we can do now in our daily activities

Health Literacy Backdrop  Healthy People 2010 Health Communication Objectives & DHHS Action Plan  Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General  A National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health  IOM Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion  NIH/AHRQ Program Announcement on Health Literacy

Health Literacy Objectives  Improve the health literacy of persons with inadequate or marginal literacy skills (11-2)  Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare providers have satisfactory communication skills(11-6).

Almost HALF of American adults have limited literacy

Prevention & Primary Care  Low-literate adults are less likely to get mammograms, Pap smears, flu and pneumonia vaccines or take their children for regular doctor and dental visits. –26% of patients a a public hospital couldn’t understand from their appointment card when their next appointment was scheduled.

Self-Management  Adults with low health literacy have less knowledge of disease management and of health- promoting behaviors. –Low-literate asthmatics are less likely to know how to use an inhaler. –Low-literate diabetics are less likely to achieve hemaglobinA1c goals. –Low-literate adults are less likely to know the purpose of fluorides. –Low-literate adults are less likely to have good oral health.

Americans have been socialized to believe that oral health is secondary and separate from general health Source: Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000

The National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health stated that the #1 Action to be taken was to change perceptions of oral health among:  the public at large  policy makers  health providers

Change Public Perceptions  Enhance oral health literacy  Develop messages that are culturally sensitive and linguistically competent  Enhance knowledge of the value of regular, professional oral health care  Increase the understanding of how the signs and symptoms of oral infections can indicate general health status and act as markers for other diseases

One of the best ways for us to help increase the public perceptions about oral health is for each of us to educate, educate, educate

Oral health literacy is: the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic oral and craniofacial health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions Source: Healthy People 2010

Each of us in our daily activities has opportunities to change perceptions about oral health

Educate pregnant women about the need for them to have healthy teeth and gums to help ensure that their infant will be healthy

Educate parents how they can prevent dental caries in the teeth of their children

Educate about the need for appropriate use of fluoride. Determine whether patients understand what fluoride is, how it works and why we need it to prevent dental caries.

We need to eradicate fluoride ill-literacy

 Ensure that you & staff have correct information  Take courses in communicating in plain language  Educate your staff about communicating in plain language  Communicate with patients at their level of understanding  Ensure that printed materials you provide are in plain language. What you can do