As primary care providers, we often are focused on diagnosis and treatment, sometimes forgetting one of the most important parts … the patient.
Sure we understand their treatment plan, but do they?
October is Health Literacy Month — a time for both organizations and providers across our North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to promote the importance of understandable health information.
Why is this important? Well, it’s estimated the 60 per cent of Canadians and 88 per cent of seniors in this country are not health literate. People who are not health literate have difficulty using the everyday health information that is routinely available in health-care organizations, retail outlets, through the media, and in their communities.
This year’s theme is “Be a Health Literacy Hero” to encourage improved health communication.
Health literacy is defined by the Canadian Public Health Association as “skills to enable access, understanding and use of information for health.”
In our North East LHIN region, health literacy is being recognized as a fundamental aspect of helping patients succeed. It was the topic of one of the nine workshops organized by the Temiskaming Health Link last year.
Supported by the North East LHIN, Health Links bring together health-care providers to better and more quickly co-ordinate care for high-needs patients such as seniors and people with complex conditions.
But you don’t have to be wearing the white coat be a Health Literacy Hero.
Patients can also help promote this cause by becoming advocates for their own health.
Give it a try at the end of your next appointment. Repeat back in your own words the advice, you’ve just heard from your doctor or nurse practitioner:
“So what you’re telling me is that I should …”
And if you don’t understand a medical term don’t be afraid to ask. As practitioners, we need to learn to use plain language and steer away from abbreviations that may be familiar to us, but not our patients. You shouldn’t need a medical degree to understand your primary care provider.
As providers, we need to pay attention, too, as research shows that when we focus using tools and methods to communication with our patients, health outcomes improve for these patients because they are better able to understand and manage their own care.
Here are some practical resources that professionals can use to improve health literacy:
-Teaching Back: This is a technique to have patients/clients “teach back” information they’ve received, in order for the professional to gauge how well the patient understands proposed services, treatments or procedures. Rather than asking simply if the patient understood or has any questions, explain that you want to be sure you were clear and ask if the person can tell you in their own words what the plan is, or how a medication should be taken.
-Provide Context: Put medical measurements into a context that patients can understand by giving them additional information such as high and low parameters, or a target goal.
-Active Listening: Encourage patients to talk and create an environment that is private and encourages communication.
Dr. Paul Preston is the North East LHIN Primary Care Lead
