Health Literacy

Web Conference- Putting Health Literacy into Practice: A Pediatric Approach
(www.aap.org/commpeds/resources/teleconf_healthliteracy.html)
This web conference provides information for addressing health literacy issues relevant to your work. The presentation will help you develop skills to improve communication with families and you will learn to assess plain language print materials. In addition, five short video clips accompany the presentation to illustrate the challenges of health literacy from the parent perspective.

Health Literacy and Pediatrics (www.aap.org/pros/hlp.htm)
The American Academy of Pediatrics has a limited supply of the American Medical Association Foundation's 2003 health literacy education toolkits, "Health Literacy: Help Your Patients Understand." AAP members interested in receiving this Health Literacy toolkit should contact William Cull, PhD at wcull@aap.org. The Kit includes an instructional video and an indepth manual for clinicians. Kits can also be purchased on an individual basis for $35 through the AMA Bookstore or by calling (800) 621-8335. (www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html)

Health Literacy: Hidden Barriers & Practical Strategies for Healthy Tomorrows Programs
(www.aap.org/commpeds/htpcp/T%20Davis_Health%20Literacy.ppt)
This presentation from the 2005 Grantee Meeting provides an overview of barriers to patients reading and receiving health information. In addition, it provides guidelines for the development health education materials and provides appropriate examples materials and those that need improvement.

Health Literacy Improvement (www.health.gov/communication/literacy/default.htm)
The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has launched a "Health Literacy Improvement" Web site as part of its Health Communication Activities. On this site, you will find a variety of tools for improving health literacy including the downloadable Quick Guide to Health Literacy. The guide is designed to be a quick and easy reference, filled with facts, definitions, helpful tips, checklists, and resources you can use.

Harvard School of Public Health, Health Literacy Studies (www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/index.html)
The Health Literacy Studies (HLS) is a research program of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, whose work is based in public health, health care settings, and adult education programs. HLS maintains strong links to public health and medical institutions, adult education programs, as well as to state departments of public health and education. This site contains examples of innovative health education materials, links to health literacy reports, and tips for how to create and assess print materials.

The Newest Vital Sign
The Pfizer Clear Health Communication Initiative has developed a health literacy assessment tool called the Newest Vital Sign. Available for free in English and Spanish, the Newest Vital Sign is a screening tool that health care providers can use to assess general literacy and numeracy skills as applied to health information and quickly identify patients at risk for low health literacy. The tool can be administered in a clinical setting in just three minutes.