The 17th Annual New Readers of Iowa Coalition Conference

“Building Health Literacy Leaders”

The day before the conference a group of ten Iowa New Readers and some representatives of Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa did a walk through of their hospital. The New Readers made little suggestions that will be helpful for people to find their way around in the hospital easier. This walk through was suggested to us by Rima Rudd from Harvard School of Public Health.

There were people at the conference from Adult Education (ABE), the field of health (Iowa Health System), The Learning Disability field and
New Readers (from Iowa, Illinois and Missouri). After three years of working together, the Iowa Health System and the New Readers of Iowa have come along way together. The different groups had many different conversations and we all came away thinking a little differently about literacy and health literacy. Having people from all four groups was very helpful.

Margie Gillis, ED.D a Senior Scientist from Haskins Laboratories, and Cindy Brach, M.P.P. Senior Health Policy Researcher at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, were the main speakers at the conference. There were workshops on Understanding myself as a New
Reader, Ask Me 3 and Teach Back role playing, Leadership training for New Readers to be leaders for health and literacy in their communities.

In Iowa we have put together a good team of people to put on a conference like this and I want to thank all who have contribute to it.

Below is a statement by the New Readers of Iowa.

DRAFT Policy Statement

Representatives of the 17th Annual New Readers of Iowa Health Literacy Conference ask health professionals in all fields of practice to create
a shame-free environment for all patients, especially those with low-literacy skills, new readers, and patients for whom English is a foreign language. Specifically we recommend the following systemic changes:

1. Become familiar with health literacy issues and review advocacy materials produced by:
• The Joint Commission
• Partnership for Clear Health Communication
• American Medical Association
• Harvard School of Public Health
• National Patient Safety Foundation
• National Institutes of Health
• Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
2. Integrate these concepts and materials into your patient practice.
3. Create an environment where patients are encouraged to get involved in their health care—allow patients adequate time with providers and eliminate shame associated with literacy issues.
4. Use the “Teach Back” method to ensure patient understanding of medical instructions—review instructions both verbally and through
   written materials, ask patients to verbally repeat back instructions, and verbally review risks of not following through with prescribed treatments.
5. Invite patients to ask providers questions to increase understanding. Use the “Ask Me 3” program to encourage patients to understand the answers to these three questions: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this?
6. Work with professional colleagues to further disseminate health literacy information and materials.
7. Where possible, reduce bureaucracy so it is easier to receive medical treatment. Reduce the paperwork necessary to initiate medical treatment. Make required paperwork easier to understand. And provide shame-free opportunities to review paperwork verbally.

Further, we ask for increased collaboration between new readers and health professionals, identifying additional ways to make health care
more accessible and safer for all patients

Archie Willard
New Reader from Iowa

posted April 27, 2007