Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership Blog
Health literacy training is important for people of all ages
Posted by MHLPadmin on Feb 06, 2019
Learning how to maintain good health and understand the health care system can – and should – start early in life and continue throughout.
Streamline processes to improve health literacy
Posted by MHLPadmin on Jan 14, 2019
Our health care system is large and fragmented, making it easy for patients to feel lost. Navigating through a variety of health care facilities, providers, rules, and requirements is not only difficult, but also daunting and confusing.
Celebrating 2018 and looking ahead
Posted by MHLPadmin on Dec 10, 2018
As we close out 2018, we’d like to thank you for making this year the best one yet. During the past year we’ve collaborated with many organizations on exciting new activities, giving us the opportunity to share health literacy best practices and resources in new and engaging ways.
The importance of relevant and accessible health information
Posted by MHLPadmin on Nov 08, 2018
When it comes to communication, it’s not just what you say but how you say it.
Health information can be technical and complex, and there can be an over-reliance on written communication. That’s why it’s important for patients and their caregivers to have access to usable information presented in a variety of ways so they can understand diagnoses, make treatment and prevention decisions, and evaluate health risks.
Health Literacy Month: Tools to help improve health literacy
Posted by MHLPadmin on Oct 16, 2018
Health Literacy Month: Tools to help improve health literacy
Each October, health professionals and organizations across the country celebrate Health Literacy Month. It’s a time to remember the importance of health literacy. And for the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership, it’s also a great time to share ways you and other health professionals can improve health literacy within your organization and community.
Making health information understandable and jargon-free
Posted by MHLPadmin on Sep 21, 2018
Nearly 90% of Americans have difficulty using everyday health information that is routinely available. That makes it harder for patients to understand their options and make responsible, well-informed health decisions.
Health Literacy Out Loud #64: Chronic Engagement: Habits That Support Good Health
Posted by MHLPadmin on Sep 07, 2011
(Reposted with permission)
Jan Berger, MD, MJ, is the Chief Medical Officer at Silverlink Communications. She leads Silverlink’s population health initiatives in areas such as adherence, clinical messaging, engagement and health behavior change. Dr. Berger also is active on numerous national committees on quality and is the Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefit. In all these roles, Dr. Berger is passionate that communications can significantly improve health outcomes.
Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #61: The Importance of Empathy in Health Communication
Posted by MHLPadmin on Jun 29, 2011
Leslie Bank is Director of Customer Service at Montefiore Health Care System in Bronx, New York. She is also the co-author of, “I’m Sorry to Hear That…Real Life Responses to Patients’ 101 Most Common Complaints About Health Care.”
In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about:
Health Literacy Out Loud #58: From the Tooth’s Point of View: Communicating Serious Health Messages with Wit and Whimsy
Posted by MHLPadmin on May 11, 2011
In this latest podcast from Helen Osborne interviews Jeanette Courtad DDS, a practicing dentist. Dr. Courtad has worked with patients of all ages—from outreach programs at primary schools to now being the dentist at the Colorado School of Mines Student Health Center.
Dr. Courtad is also an artist with a lifetime of experience painting, dancing, and sculpting. She combines her artistic talents with a passion for educating children about the need for better oral hygiene in her new book, Toothful Tales: How We Survived the Sweet Attack.
Health Literacy Out Loud #56: Helping Others Understand Health Messages
Posted by MHLPadmin on Apr 08, 2011
Lisa M. Schwartz, MD, M.S., and Steven Woloshin, MD, MS, are general internists at the White River Junction Veterans Administration Medical Center in Vermont. They also are professors of medicine, and community and family medicine, at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire.