When physicians talk with me about apps, those conversations tend to fall into two categories. (No, not 'glee' and 'horror.') Maybe these apply to you: your patients are coming to you, talking/asking questions about various apps, or your organization uses a specific app, and you are talking to patients about that app. So if you find yourself talking apps, and you’re … [Read more...]
Infographic: Some health literacy basics
As health professionals, you care about health literacy. Health literacy is a large field. The research on health literacy covers a massive territory. So it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. A few weeks back, I wrote a short article on this. Here's an infographic that's even speedier. Here, I’m offering some loose groupings or distinctions in health literacy--both … [Read more...]
A quick breakdown of some health literacy basics
“When I say ‘health literacy,’ what does that mean to you?” I asked 4 physicians this question. I got 4 very different answers. And all of them were ‘right.’ As health professionals, you care about health literacy. I know this because when I’ve done in-person talks, nothing has drawn more attention and put more butts in chairs than when I’m talking about health … [Read more...]
Providers, your language may have more power than you realize (Revisited)
It seems each of us knows someone who has cancer, is in recovery from cancer, or has died from cancer. Near the start of this year, we ran an article (and later a podcast episode) called “Providers, your language may have more power than you realize.” That article begins with a recollection from a woman with cancer about an important conversation she had with her provider, a … [Read more...]
How cell phones can help you with patients’ health literacy
A medical educator recently gave me some feedback from her students on a talk I’d given: “They thought you had many great points about communicating with patients, and liked the point you made about cell phones.” As a literacy researcher and educator, I have spent years talking with folks about health literacy. My emphasis is on helping providers get the outcomes they want … [Read more...]
