Improving Heath Literacy Friendiness of Heath Pans Heath Literacy Annua Research Conference October 20, 2009 Juie Gazmararian, PhD, MPH Emory University Nationa Center for Heath Marketing, Centers for Disease Contro and Prevention Katherine Beditz, MPH candidate Emory University
Why Heath Pans? Chronic disease care and sef-management Patient-provider communication Patient safety and heath-care quaity Access to heath care and preventive services Provider time imitations Consumer-directed heath care Heath expenditures
Project Background Goa: to modify a pharmacy assessment too and its appicabiity to the needs of heath insurance pans Specific objectives are to: Understand how heath pans are addressing heath iteracy; Deveop toos to assist heath pans in furthering heath iteracy activities; and Identify areas for improvement in impementing heath iteracy activities
Pharmacy Heath Literacy Assessment Adapted from Literacy Aberta s Heath Literacy Audit Fu guide avaiabe at: http://www.ahrq.gov/qua/phar
Heath Literacy Assessment Too for Heath Pans Coaboration with AHIP provides opportunity to work with diverse heath pans throughout the country Timeine: Adapt too: Dec 08-Apri 09 Piot Test: May-June 09 Impement: Juy-Aug 09 Disseminate too: Sept-Nov 09
Inventory of Heath Pan Heath Literacy Activities January-February 2009 Assess current state of heath iteracy among heath pans Brief, 10 question, web-based survey Invited 41 pans to compete survey by e-mai (phone foow-up) 27 of 41 pans competed survey to date (66% response) 29 individuas
Exampes of Programs/Materias for Members with Low HL Skis Specific reading eves for a materias Staff training Simpified consent forms Simpified heath education materias Pain anguage tookit Revised enroment form Interpreter transates materias
Heath Literacy Assessment Areas Member information / navigation Member services / communication Web navigation Forms Nurse ca ine Nurse case/disease management
Heath Literacy Assessment Piot test May-June 2009; 8 pans reported, one with two products, 9 tota Main Juy-Aug 2009; 10 pans reported, one with three products, 12 tota Sent out eectronic copies of instrument, requested to be maied back to Emory Data entered in exce spreadsheet Pans represented Medicare, Medicaid, PPO, POS, HMO, combination
Key Findings Member Information: Most pans have reading eve guideines, typicay grade 6 or beow Cear anguage guideines are often avaiabe, but frequenty not used Member Services: About two-thirds of pans provide training to empoyees on recognition of indications that a member does not understand what is being said
Web Navigation: Key Findings More than 1/3 pans indicated guideines exist to ensure ease of website navigation; however, often not used Websites often incude information in other anguages Forms: Most pans have cear anguage guideines to ensure forms are simpe/cear without medica jargon Very few pans had guideines for the amount of white space provided in forms
Nurse Ca Line: Key Findings Few pans have guideines for identifying medica and scientific jargon that shoud be avoided when discussing heath information with members Most organizations have provided training to nurse ca ine empoyees on recognition of indicators that the member does not understand Case and Disease Management: Most pans have guideines for using graphics and iustrations in case/disease management materias that enhances readabiity
Where Do We Go From Here? Infuse cear heath communication into a prevention and chronic care disease management programs Integrate discipines and approaches within organizations Coaborate with other heath care partners and communities Document success
Extra Sides
America s Heath Insurance Pans (AHIP) Heath Literacy Activities Created Heath Literacy Task Force Present case studies and other information sharing during monthy Task Force conference cas Webinar on reader and user friendy web design for heath pans, Apri 2008 Sponsored an a day training session in June 2008 Transformed training session into a series of three webinars 15
Checkist and Guideines Checkist of steps to appy principes of cear heath communication to webbased materias, incuding Persona Heath Records Guideines for deveoping and designing userfriendy heath pan Web sites http://www.ahip.com/content/defaut.aspx?bc=39 341 22050