Health Literacy and Child Health Outcomes: Promoting Effective Health Communication Strategies to Improve Quality of Care

ISBN-13: 9783319507989 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 100 str.

Rosina Connelly; Teri Turner

Opis

This compact resource presents current data on health literacy as it affects child health outcomes, with a sharp focus on improving communication between healthcare providers and pediatric patients and their families. A frequently overlooked social determinant of health in children, health literacy is shown as a critical skill for patients and families and a key aspect of patient engagement. The authors' evidence-based survey pinpoints common problems in healthcare providers' verbal and written communication with pediatric patients, their parents, and/or caregivers. Readers will learn about practical health literacy strategies for addressing and preventing miscommunication at the individual and systems levels. These improvements are linked to immediate results (e.g., greater compliance, fewer medication errors) as well as improved long-term child health outcomes, including reduced health disparities and enhanced quality of life into adulthood. This transformative guide: - Defines optimum health communication as necessary for working with all patients - Identifies common barriers to clear health communication - Traces the relationship between health literacy and child health outcomes, from the prenatal period and into young adulthood - Offers guidelines for creating effective patient education materials and a safe, health literacy oriented patient-centered environment - Integrates health literacy into health systems' quality improvement plans Health Literacy and Child Health Outcomes informs students in MPH programs as well as public health scientists and scholars, and can also serve as an introductory text for students in public health ethics or a general applied ethics course. Public health professionals in diverse contexts such as local health departments and nonprofit organizations will appreciate its robust approach to ethical practice, professional development, and systems improvement. This will be a helpful guide for introducing health communication topics in medical education and allied health. Lastly, clinicians taking care of pediatric patients will find concise information and practical advice to apply in the clinical setting.

Spis treści

I. Introduction to Health Literacy and Health Communication

Definition of Health Literacy 

Health Literacy as an Element of Health Communication

• Health literacy
  
• English language proficiency and cultural competency 

Health Literacy Skills Level and Health-Related Tasks

Low Health Literacy Skills and Patients’ Experiences of Health Care

Health Literacy in Numbers:

• How big of a problem?
  
• How to know who is at risk?

Health Literacy and Quality of Care 

II. Health Literacy and Child Health Outcomes: From the Perinatal and Birth Period to Young Adulthood

Parental Health Literacy and Children From 0 to 3 

Parental Health Literacy and Medication Errors 

Health Literacy and Growing Up Healthy 

Health Literacy and Childhood Chronic Health Conditions 

III. Health Literacy Universal Precautions: Strategies for Communication With All Patients 

Strategies for Spoken Communication

• Avoiding medical jargon
  
• Checking for understanding: Teach Back and Show-Me techniques
  
• Limiting amount of information and repeat
  
• Encouraging patients to ask questions: Ask Me 3

Strategies for Using Written Information

• Using pictures or models
  
• Using patient information materials effectively
  

IV. Health Literacy and Effective Health Communication in Pediatric Practices and Health Systems

Creating Shame-Free Environments and Patient-Friendly Institutions 

• Will patients feel welcome and encouraged to ask questions?
  
• The patient-centered approach to communication

Plain Language in Patient Information Materials: From Registration Forms, Consent Forms, and General Information, to Information Giving and Patient Education Resources 

Reducing Medication Errors: Brown Bag Review and Medication Reconciliation 

• Ensuring patient understanding of medication instructions: dosing instruments, medication charts, and other tips
  

V. Health Literacy and Medical Education

Health Literacy as an Element of Interpersonal and Communication Skills Competency in Medical Education

• Undergraduate medical education
  
• Graduate medical education
  
• Continuing medical education
  
• Maintenance of board certification (MOC)
  

Resources for Medical Professionals: American Board of Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, Academic Pediatric Association, American Medical Association, Healthy People 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

VI. Health Literacy and Child Health, From Research to Policy Implications 

Research Opportunities and Evidence-Based Medicine 

Quality Improvement in Pediatric Practice: Measuring Performance and Resulting Patient Outcomes, Patient Satisfaction, Health Care Resources Utilization, and Medication Error Reduction 

Health Literacy and the Pediatric Patient-Centered Medical Home 

Health Literacy and Child Health Policy Implications

O autorze

Rosina Avila Connelly, MD, MPH, is an associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Connelly also is a physician leader of Outpatient General Pediatrics at the Children's Medical Center and a member of the Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction Committee at the USA Children's and Women's Hospital, both of which are affiliated with the University of South Alabama Health System.

Teri Turner, MD, MPH, is associate professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Turner also is associate director of house staff education, director of the Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship, and Director of the Center for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship.