Health Literacy Improving Health, Health Systems, and Health Policy Around the World: Workshop Summary (2013) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Appendix A: Commissioned Paper: Health Literacy Around the World: Part 1: Health Literacy Efforts Outside of the United States
Appendix A: Commissioned Paper: Health Literacy Around the World: Part 1: Health Literacy Efforts Outside of the United States
Pages 97-206
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 97... ...
Appendix A Health Literacy Around the World: Part 1 Health Literacy Efforts Outside of the United States1 by Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D. Director of Health Literacy and Research Canyon Ranch Institute Tucson, Arizona Commissioned by Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy 1 The author is responsible for the content of this article, which does not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Medicine.
|
From page 98... ...
98 HEALTH LITERACY AROUND THE WORLD CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 100 INTRODUCTION 102 HEALTH LITERACY: A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE FIELD 102 METHODOLOGY 104 RESULTS 109 Australia, 109 Austria, 125 Bangladesh, 126 Botswana, 126 Brazil, 127 Cameroon, 127 Canada, 127 Chile, 138 China, 139 Côte d'Ivoire, 144 Denmark, 145 Finland, 146 Greece, 147 India, 149 Ireland, 153 Israel, 157 Japan, 159 Kenya, 160 Liberia, 162 Malawi, 162 Mexico, 163 Mozambique, 166 Netherlands, 166 New Zealand, 167 Pakistan, 172 Peru, 173 Singapore, 174 Slovenia, 175 South Africa, 175 Spain, 178 Switzerland, 179
|
From page 99... ...
APPENDIX A 99 Turkey, 181 United Kingdom (Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) , 182 Zimbabwe, 186 European Union (EU)
|
From page 100... ...
3 nonprofit public charity located in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. Without the active support of my colleagues at CRI, this discussion paper would have never materialized.
|
From page 101... ...
Respectfully, Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D. Health Literacy and Research Director, Canyon Ranch Institute Member, Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy
|
From page 102... ...
Further, there is not universal agreement of the definition of health literacy and, partly as a result, translation of the concept across languages is fraught with difficulty. The results of an effort to learn about health literacy activities ongoing around the world are reported in this discussion paper, and a companion paper to follow that will focus on health literacy efforts in the United States.
|
From page 103... ...
Equally, conferences with a more general focus on public health, for example, seem to also be featuring a growing number of presentations that address health literacy. Anecdotally, at least, these also seem to be attracting larger and larger audiences as more individuals are becoming aware of the importance of health literacy.
|
From page 104... ...
METHODOLOGY Gathering information about any social phenomenon on a global basis is a significant undertaking that is often rife for failure and nearly always guaranteed to draw criticism. Critiques of this effort and discussion paper are certainly possible and warranted, and the main areas the approach used in this initial effort to collect information about health literacy activities on such a large scale is certainly open to future improvements.
|
From page 105... ...
FIGURE A-1 Frequency of health literacy publications by country (2011)
|
From page 106... ...
These individuals were requested to participate in the online survey and to forward the e-mail invitation to others they knew of who work in health literacy. This process started with an initial e-mail, with at least one reminder at a later date, sent to 574 individuals around the world believed to be associated with health literacy, health promotion, or health communication efforts.
|
From page 107... ...
Very few errors in fact were discovered in this process and the volunteer fact checkers reported that they actually learned something new about health literacy within their own nation that they were unaware of prior to reviewing the information collected through this process. While a goal of this project was to catalogue all the health literacy activities ongoing around the world, that goal is clearly unreachable.
|
From page 108... ...
may have unfortunately negatively influenced this discussion paper as well. Readers of this and the forthcoming discussion paper focusing on the health literacy activities in the United States may too quickly assume that health literacy research, practice, and policy are more advanced in
|
From page 109... ...
, education efforts focusing on health professionals, and how health literacy is defined in each nation or effort. Australia GOVERNMENTAL POLICY Australia is one of the few nations around the world to have completed a national assessment of health literacy to provide evidence upon which to base future policy and practice.
|
From page 110... ...
Also, this participant adds, the government is sending a very strong message that people need to be self-responsible for their health through funding health promotion and health literacy programs and through a tax for those who don't invest in private health insurance. Notably, participants reported that there is a national safety and quality policy that explicitly includes health literacy in its framework (http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/national-perspectives/ australian-safety-and-quality-framework-for-health-care)
|
From page 111... ...
A participant in this project reported that the goal is to ensure that there are effective partnerships between consumers, health care providers, and organizations at all levels of health care provision, planning, and evaluation. One of the outcomes identified within this goal is for health care organizations to become health literate organizations.
|
From page 112... ...
Victoria is the second Australian state reported to have developed health literacy policies. For example, participants reported that the Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012–2022 developed by the Victorian Department of Health establishes a framework for the planning and development of priorities for health services across the Victorian health care system by the year 2022, and then articulates the particular planning and development priorities.
|
From page 113... ...
Others reported that policies at national and state/ territory levels do address needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Other relevant policies indicated by participants in, or aware of, health literacy efforts in Australia include • National Primary Health Care Reform: This effort explicitly addresses health literacy, cultural appropriate and timely care, increased focus on prevention, including support of health life 5 According to a 2009 report from the Commonwealth Fund, "Australia has a mixed public and private health care system.
|
From page 114... ...
• Other relevant legislation frameworks and government policies can be found linked at http://accesseasyenglish.com.au/easy-english/ legislative-framework • Victorian Government External Communication Access Policy of 2006 In other states and territories, policies relevant to health literacy reported by participants include • The Western Australia chronic disease self-management strategy http://www.healthnetworks.health.wa.gov.au/abhi/project/self_ management.cfm
|
From page 115... ...
is conducting a comprehensive "stocktake" of health literacy initiatives that is ongoing as of the preparation of this report. The effort, much like what produced this report, sought information on health literacy projects, programs, research, and initiatives at local, state, and national levels within Australia.
|
From page 116... ...
See http://www.healthinsite.gov.au. One participant reported that there is a national health promotion effort targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health needs through Closing the Gap.
|
From page 117... ...
. Participants reported that efforts to reach those goals include the development of booklets and brochures for patients and care givers as part of the program.
|
From page 118... ...
org.au/services/cuecards/default.aspx#cuecards. Goulburn Valley Health, a hospital in Shepparton, Victoria, offers a Hospital Orientation and Health Information Tour for Migrants and Refugees in a pilot program that began in 2010.
|
From page 119... ...
Health Promotion Journal of Australia 21:120–126. The Western Australian (WA)
|
From page 120... ...
I write ‘Easy English' to assist people with low or limited or non-functional literacy to access health information." This participant reported creating materials related to asthma, domestic abuse, immunization, and other health topics. See the Business section of this report for more information.
|
From page 121... ...
ecu.edu.au • The Drug and Alcohol Office in Western Australia and nationally the drug strategies are reported to be very proactive around com munity awareness and prevention and responsible use: http:// www.dao.health.wa.gov.au • The Department of Health of the Government of Western Austra lia has produced a toolkit for collecting and using patient stories to improve health: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/hrit/docs/A_ toolkit_for_collecting_and_using_patient_stories.pdf • The Health Consumers' Council Western Australia has created a Patients First Ambassador project: http://www.healthissuescentre. org.au/documents/items/2009/06/280714-upload-00001.pdf • An overview of ongoing campaigns conducted by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing: http://www.health.gov.au/ internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/relatedwebsites • An overview of health promotion efforts ongoing in South Austra lia: http://www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/health-promotion.htm
|
From page 122... ...
This work started 2.5 years ago and includes presentations to primary health care teams (physio therapists, occupational therapists, child health and community nurses, speech pathologists, social workers, health promotion offi cers, and team managers)
|
From page 123... ...
. A participant reported that the Health Literacy Questionnaire developed by Professor Richard Osborne and team defines health literacy as consisting of the following 10 dimensions that were derived from patients, practitioners, managers and policy makers: 1.
|
From page 124... ...
developed originally through the work of Donald Nutbeam. That is that health literacy is "the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions" (IOM, 2004)
|
From page 125... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 126... ...
A total of 30 facilitators in four districts of Botswana were trained in health literacy. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 127... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Several programs offer education in multiple areas of professional medical practice, but no efforts aimed at the broader population were reported.
|
From page 128... ...
. One participant reported that the current Government of Canada has abolished the formerly mandatory Long-Form Census that provided information about the health and wellbeing of large random samples of Canadians.
|
From page 129... ...
Thus, in turn, efforts are reported from nongovernmental organizations, then national government efforts, and then provincial level governmental efforts in Canada. Nongovernmental Organizations In regard to health literacy efforts from the NGO sector, a participant reported that the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
|
From page 130... ...
At the provincial level in Canada, participants reported that the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) and the Public Health Association of British Columbia (PHABC)
|
From page 131... ...
Another organization that multiple participants reported has been very active in regard to health literacy both in Quebec and outside of it is the Quebec Centre for Literacy, which has sponsored two Institutes on Health Literacy, one of which produced the Calgary Charter on Health Literacy: Rationale and Core Principles for the Development of Health Literacy Curricula. The document was the result of a 3-day institute held in Calgary, Alberta, in October 2008, which brought together participants from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
|
From page 132... ...
They include • Background papers on Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Devel opment, Applying a Health Literacy Framework to Diabetes, and e-health literacy; • Two National Think Tanks and a Workshop on Health Literacy; • Development of a Health Literacy Prototype Online Module for Public Health Professionals; • Development and Evaluation of a Health Literacy Prototype Mod ule for Health Educators K-12; • Health Literacy Examples from the Field Project; • Health Literacy Capacity Tool Project; • Health Literacy Scan Project; • Regional Health Literacy Synthesis Project; • Health Literacy Knowledge Translation Project; • Health Literacy Science Seminars; • Health literacy content development and publishing for new PHAC Health Literacy website (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ cd-mc/hl-ls/index-eng.php) ; • HL2Go Project; and the • Health Literacy Module and Workshop for Health Practitioners.
|
From page 133... ...
. The Centre for Health Promotion within PHAC was also reported to have started to incorporate health literacy concepts into their information and programming with respect to older adults via the Division of Aging and Seniors.
|
From page 134... ...
pdf) and on a literature review of guidelines in educational tools that apply to health promotion and disease prevention.
|
From page 135... ...
• Initiatives aimed at increasing mental health literacy within spe cific populations and settings include oo The Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders Mental Health Lit eracy Initiative, which includes 13 projects that aim to enhance health literacy in the area of eating disorders and disordered eating across the continuum of mental health from promotion to treatment. oo Cross-Cultural Mental Health Literacy Initiatives, which aim to enhance mental health literacy among culturally diverse families.
|
From page 136... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS A Canadian respondent reported that other than offering training or educational classes for their own staff, the Federal Government in Canada does not "currently" directly offer training or educational classes on health literacy to practitioners or the public. The PHAC is reported to be currently transitioning an existing Health Literacy Workshop Module for Public Health Professionals into an interactive online module for their National Online Learning Program (Skills Online)
|
From page 137... ...
HOW IS HEALTH LITERACY DEFINED IN CANADA? One participant reported that the current Government of Canada defines health literacy as an individual matter even though a few years ago, the Federal Government of Canada, Health Canada, and the PHAC used the social determinants of health as the framework for discussing the health of Canadians.
|
From page 138... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 139... ...
, measures for the administration of information reporting on monitoring public health emergencies and epidemics of infectious diseases (http://www.china.com.cn/ chinese/PI-c/460481.htm) , and measures on the medical and health information services provided through the Internet (http://www.moh.gov.cn/ publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/mohzcfgs/pgz/200906/41403.htm)
|
From page 140... ...
HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES (GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL) Most directly related to health literacy, participants reported there is a National Plan of Health Literacy Promotion Initiatives for Chinese Citizens (2008–2010)
|
From page 141... ...
Accounts online of recipients include reference to Wu Dengyun, who is said to have provided care in a remote area and focused on being culturally and linguistically appropriate in his interactions with patients. Other examples of health literacy efforts that participants reported from China include • A Chinese national symposium on health education and health promotion that was held in Shanghai on May 18–19, 2012.
|
From page 142... ...
Specific efforts of this initiative participants reported on include oo On February 11, 2012, the Beijing Home of Red Ribbon offered
|
From page 143... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Courses that include health literacy training for different types of doctors and nurses are reported to be offered in many medical schools, such as Peking University Health Science Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, and Medical Center of Fudan University, and others. Among these courses are pharmacology, epidemiology, medical immunology, the history of medicine, medical psychology, anthropotomy, health evaluation, basic nursing, community nursing, nursing management, medical nursing, and surgery nursing.
|
From page 144... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS A participant from Côte d'Ivoire reported that the Biblotheque UFR Sciences Medicales Université de Cocody provides training in health information literacy in the medical school. A participant reported that policies of Association of African Universities License-Master-Doctorate system are involving information literacy policies for the next school year and that training of librarians at the university will begin as well.
|
From page 145... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 146... ...
During the last decade, health promotion practitioners have reportedly underlined the importance of supporting health literacy in order to improve population health and cost-effectiveness of health promotion programs. Despite that policy development for health care professionals reported above, however, a participant reported that few empirical health literacy studies have been conducted.
|
From page 147... ...
Even though, reading literacy in Finland is at high level, there are clear health inequalities between socio-economical groups. Health literacy research may help us to find methods for targeting health counselling to people with different needs." EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 148... ...
The National School of Public Health and the University of Athens are reported to organize conferences where regulations, legislation, and plans of action are communicated to the public. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Medical professional training is accomplished through the National School of Public Health (http://www.esdy.gr/nsph)
|
From page 149... ...
HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES (GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL) Kalyani is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India and has been called the longest running public health campaign in the nation (http://www.ddindia.gov.in/ devcom/Program+Column+1/Kalyani.htm)
|
From page 150... ...
The organization has conducted health literacy assessments, participatory action research projects on increasing health literacy at the grassroots relating to risk factors and symptoms of selected chronic disease prevention opportunities in three states in India. Campaigns conducted so far have reportedly used mass media through community and commercial radio, newspaper advertisements; participatory mid-level media using songs, health melas,6 street plays, puppetry, public meetings, dance, and adapted board games as well as interpersonal communication through peer education via a cascade approach.
|
From page 151... ...
. SEWA trains traditional midwives, so that they become the "barefoot doctors" of their communities/villages, promotes health and well-being by providing access to health information and health education, provides basic amenities like sanitation literacy and other developmental skills, and emphasizes self-reliance for women in economic terms and in terms of women themselves owning, controlling, and managing their own health activities (SEWA, 2009)
|
From page 152... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS The Public Health Foundation of India reports it conducted a program, Raising the discourse on the Arts and Public Health (2009)
|
From page 153... ...
. • National Health Promotion Strategy 2000–2005 Department of Health (http://www.dohc.ie/publications/national_health_ promotion_strategy.html)
|
From page 154... ...
that recognizes individuals and organizations for their efforts to advance health literacy in Ireland. Winners of this recognition in 2012 included the following.
|
From page 155... ...
As well as informing the patients about their visit to the clinic, they include health promotion information, in particular a focus on encouraging patients to quit smoking. The booklets have been awarded the Plain English mark by NALA.
|
From page 156... ...
communications and screening promotion team aims to reduce barriers and enable eligible women from the Travelling community to participate in BreastCheck and CervicalCheck. The NCSS developed a bespoke, interactive train ing programme for community health workers (CHWs)
|
From page 157... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS NALA reports offering a health literacy initiative for members of all sectors of the health profession as well as to members of the media who specialize in health promotion.
|
From page 158... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS A participant indicated that there is a new course from the Israel Ministry of Health for hospital representatives that coordinates culturally appropriate services and includes a unit on health literacy. Health literacy is reported to be included in training of primary care staff at Clalit, particularly with regard to diabetes and treatment of chronic disease.
|
From page 159... ...
Toward that end, the effort has started health programs targeting elderly-, family-, and women-centered care, and with other people based on the people-centered care model. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 160... ...
A huge challenge is to walk the thin line between ‘enough' and ‘too much' information and written text in a leaflet." -- South African participant Kenya GOVERNMENTAL POLICY A participant reporting on health literacy in Kenya reported that the nation is guided by the WHO's 7th Global Conference on Health Promotion (which was held in Nairobi, Kenya) resolution on health literacy and health promotion.
|
From page 161... ...
Another health literacy effort reported from Kenya is the creation of health information dialogues and reading tents where experts mingle with the community and discuss the prevailing health challenges within respective communities. These dialogues are reported to have developed suggestions better suited to alleviate health challenges and increase community ownerships of the activities. At a 2009 conference on Health Literacy Capacities in East and Southern Africa, a participant reported on Rachuonyo Health Equity that is a Kenyan community-based organization reported to be working with people living with HIV/AIDS.
|
From page 162... ...
Various strategies are applied to educate and teach citizens on better health for quality health lives. Through health education programs, citizens at whatever level within the society are reported to be able to access health information.
|
From page 163... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 164... ...
The effort has also created an online portal for health information to improve health literacy that includes modules on addictions, hypertension, cancer, heart health, diabetes, and influenza. A participant notes that challenges facing these sort of efforts in Mexico may be the number of people with access to the Internet and that the information seems designed for adults but not younger people or children.
|
From page 165... ...
Another participant reported that health professionals in Mexico continue to use very technical language to communicate with the public so often people do not understand or see the relevance of their efforts to communicate indicating a continuing need to further advance health literacy in the nation. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Participants noted that many universities such as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (http://www.unam.mx)
|
From page 166... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 167... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS A workshop addressing health professionals was held in Finland in 2010 featuring multiple examples and speakers about health literacy (http://www.compriz.nl/nieuws/23)
|
From page 168... ...
Participants reported that there are a large number of health literacy research projects going on at the University of Auckland. For example, one project (with the University of Waikato)
|
From page 169... ...
The site also offers access to the Waipanu statement, which is a "brief paper encouraging health organisations, health professionals, patients, media and communities to take action about improving health literacy right across the health system" (Health Navigator New Zealand, 2011)
|
From page 170... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS The New Zealand Ministry of Health via Health Workforce New Zealand has launched an online cultural competency tool that includes a basic module on health literacy that can be seen at http://www.health workforce.govt.nz/news/2012/06/20/minister-releases-online-culturalcompetency-training.
|
From page 171... ...
One participant reported that the understanding of health literacy within the New Zealand health sector seems to this person to be limited to conceptualizing health literacy as solely being about the educational process and that health literacy is a problem solely of individuals versus a health system and larger societal issue. This participant reported that efforts to broaden that limited conceptualization of health literacy are occurring within the health sector in New Zealand.
|
From page 172... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS A participant reported that international NGOs do fund the government to promote awareness in relation to specific health issues, but that there is not a long-term methodical plan for health literacy education and training.
|
From page 173... ...
HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES (GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL) In Peru, a participant reported, there is a group called Iniciativa Contra la Desnutricion Infantil (Initiative Against Child Malnutrition)
|
From page 174... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS The Health Promotion Board of the Singapore government is spearheading all health literacy efforts in the nation.
|
From page 175... ...
The government is reported to have declared a chemical safety week and the project's method to stimulate action on the local level was to train "catalysts" to create awareness raising events through a training course for national and local government officials, NGOs, academics, and private-sector communication people on advocacy. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 176... ...
One participant reported that "Healthcare in South Africa, as a result, has
|
From page 177... ...
. A participant reported that perhaps the most useful application of the health literacy work done over the years in South Africa in terms of developing and testing pictograms is currently being applied on the Phelophepa Healthcare Train (see http://www.transnetfoundation.co.za/ CSIPortfolios/Pages/Health.aspx#aboutphelophepa or http://www.
|
From page 178... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 179... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SIPES (Sistema de Información de Promoción y Educación para la Salud) is an effort to enhance communication between professionals and health institutions related to health promotion and education.
|
From page 180... ...
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS One training session in the Swiss Master of Public Health training was reported to be on the topic of health literacy. No further information was provided or available.
|
From page 181... ...
All these campaigns were performed by showing short films and awareness spots on television, distributing pamphlets and posters, and through face-to-face interviews between health care pro iders and people. v EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 182... ...
This participant reported that the Scottish government has developed a national health literacy action group that brings together policy, practice, research, and education sectors to develop a National Health Literacy Action Plan (http://nhlag.wordpress.com)
|
From page 183... ...
HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES (GOVERNMENTAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL) Health Literacy Group UK is a Special Interest Group of the Society for Academic Primary Care that participants reported is committed to raising the profile of health literacy as a remediable cause of health inequalities in England, and to developing and undertaking research to achieve that.
|
From page 184... ...
Participants reported that ongoing work in Wales includes efforts to create a program of work related to raising awareness of functional health literacy and health, including guidelines and standards for public health information and translation and validation of measurement tools for use in the Welsh language.
|
From page 185... ...
HOW IS HEALTH LITERACY DEFINED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM? One participant reported that health literacy is defined in the United Kingdom as representing "the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand,
|
From page 186... ...
Participants reported that in Scotland, multiple definitions are stated in policy documents and no single definition is widely accepted or used. Zimbabwe GOVERNMENTAL POLICY The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in Zimbabwe reported that the government has shown commitment to increasing health literacy levels through supporting health promotion activities over the past several years.
|
From page 187... ...
The health literacy effort is reported to be operating in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Botswana to support the development and use of participatory health education materials for health civil society. Health facilities are realizing the importance of health literacy and are starting to develop health literacy programs to address the difficulties that patients have in obtaining and understanding health information, to equip civil societies in selected communities with the skills they need to assess quality of service delivery at their health institutions.
|
From page 188... ...
. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS The CWGH efforts described above include specific components targeting Village Health Workers and other community-based health workers.
|
From page 189... ...
. EU HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES Health literacy efforts seem to be increasing in number across the European Union.
|
From page 190... ...
A respondent reported that growing interest in health literacy across the European Union is, in part, due to a panel discussion held as part of the 8th European Health Forum Gastein (2005) where a panel of international experts discussed health literacy and its importance and impact on Europeans.
|
From page 191... ...
. EU EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS None reported.
|
From page 192... ...
In part, this resolution asserts that in order to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases and create health promoting environments, measures shall be taken to "Develop, strengthen and implement, as appropriate, multisectoral public policies and action plans to promote health education and health literacy, including through evidence-based education and information strategies and programmes in and out of schools, and through public awareness campaigns, as important factors in furthering the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, recognizing that a strong focus on health literacy is at an early stage in many countries" (UN, 2011)
|
From page 193... ...
. UN HEALTH LITERACY INITIATIVES The WHO's 7th Global Conference on Health Promotion in 2009, held in Nairobi, Kenya, featured a specific track focusing on health literacy.
|
From page 194... ...
iiep.unesco.org/no-cache/en/news/single-view.html? tx_ttnews %5Btt_news%5D=1019&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=262 • Yoza cellphone stories: Getting South African teenagers reading: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/single view/news/yoza_cellphone_stories_getting_south_african_ teenagers_reading UN EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TARGETING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS UNESCO is reported to have provided training for health care providers in Africa on doctor patient communication.
|
From page 195... ...
Thus, health literacy means more than being able to read pamphlets and make appointments. By improving people's access to health information, and their capacity to use it effectively, health literacy is critical to empowerment.
|
From page 196... ...
A subsequent meeting with Rima Rudd when I joined the Institute of Medicine Board on Health Promotion cemented my interest in the topic and ultimately led me to do research using this concept and to participate in the Institute of Medicine Committee on Health Literacy and Co-Chair the Canadian Expert Panel on Health Literacy." -- Canadian participant
|
From page 197... ...
The participant reported that the organization's tradition of formal education is continuing at Colegio Santa Ethnea in Argentina, Muffles Junior College and St. Catherine Academy in Belize as well as Instituto Maria Regina in Honduras.
|
From page 198... ...
Work will be implemented with local partners and government agencies. The partnership will support and coordinate the work of front-line health care providers and policy makers by fostering collaboration, increasing capacity and ensuring that health information is accurate, comprehensive and readily available and accessible.
|
From page 199... ...
Essentially, these two planned discussion papers make up two parts of a larger whole. The decision to separate the information was based on a desire to not create an appearance that health literacy efforts in the United States were any more advanced than in other nations.
|
From page 200... ...
Thus, creating partnerships across organizations may well be a critically important key to successful health literacy policy and practice efforts. Embracing both those approaches -- adopting health literacy at the highest levels of leadership and creating multidisciplinary partnerships between organizations -- seems likely to produce even greater progress in addressing health disparities around the world.
|
From page 201... ...
This discussion paper makes that growth increasingly clear. However, this effort has also found indications of cracks at the foundation to the field -- especially as efforts to introduce health literacy into governmental policy move forward.
|
From page 202... ...
A more rigorous approach would demand that to be truly health literacy, efforts must demonstrate that the health literacy intervention caused behavior changes that produced health effects. In that sense, health literacy could use strategies from health communication and health education, but in many instances those strategies (or theories)
|
From page 203... ...
2009. Primary health care reform in Australia: Report to support Australia's first national primary health care strategy.
|
From page 204... ...
Victoria, BC: Public Health Association of British Columbia. Mullis, I
|
From page 205... ...
2009. 7th global conference on health promotion primer.
|
From page 206... ...
2011. Patient engagement in reducing safety risks in health care: Report of the meeting on patient safety and rights Copenhagen.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.