Health literacy and patient safety: Help patients understand

Summary

The video script addresses the critical issue of health literacy, revealing that millions of Americans struggle to understand medical information due to complex healthcare communication. It illustrates the challenges faced by patients with limited literacy skills, including medication management and navigating appointments, and emphasizes the importance of creating a shame-free environment and improving physician-patient communication to ensure better health outcomes.

Takeaways

• 😷 Health literacy is crucial for understanding and acting on medical information, yet millions of adult Americans lack adequate skills.
• 🏥 Patients with low health literacy often face challenges such as hospitalization and misunderstanding medical instructions.
• 📚 The average American reads at an eighth-grade level, but healthcare information is frequently communicated at a college graduate level, leading to confusion.
• 👨‍⚕️ Doctors often presume patients understand complex medical terms, which can lead to patients not fully grasping their health conditions or treatment plans.
• 🤔 Patients with limited literacy may avoid asking questions or admitting their inability to understand medical instructions due to fear of embarrassment.
• 💊 Misunderstanding medication instructions can result in improper use, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes.
• 📉 Low health literacy is associated with increased healthcare costs, estimated at 50 to 73 billion dollars annually.
• 🔍 Identifying patients with inadequate health literacy can be done through simple questionnaires and observing their interaction with forms.
• 🌐 Creating a shame-free environment in healthcare settings encourages patients to be more open about their literacy levels and receive necessary support.
• 🗣️ Physicians can improve communication by using 'living room language,' focusing on the most important information, and employing visual aids.
• 🔄 The 'teach back' method, where patients explain medical instructions to providers, is an effective way to ensure understanding and retention.

Q & A

What is health literacy and why is it important?

Health literacy is the ability to read, understand, and act on medical information. It's important because millions of adult Americans lack adequate health literacy skills, which can lead to confusion, frustration, and a feeling of helplessness when dealing with healthcare.

Why do patients sometimes avoid asking questions about their medication or medical conditions?

Patients may avoid asking questions due to fear of appearing unintelligent, embarrassment, or not wanting others to know they have difficulty understanding medical terms or instructions.

What is the average reading level of the American population in relation to healthcare communication?

The average American reads at an eighth-grade level, but healthcare information is often communicated at a college graduate level, leading to a disconnect and potential misunderstandings.

What are some common misunderstandings patients with low health literacy might have?

Patients with low health literacy might misunderstand dosage instructions, fail to recognize the importance of taking medication on an empty stomach, or not comprehend the rights and responsibilities section of a Medicaid application.

How can healthcare providers identify patients with potential health literacy challenges?

Providers can use a short questionnaire to screen for health literacy, observe how patients fill out forms, and take a detailed social history to identify potential literacy issues.

What is the 'Brown Bag test' and how does it help in ensuring patients understand their medications?

The 'Brown Bag test' is a method where patients bring all their medications to the doctor's office in a bag. The doctor then reviews each medication with the patient, helping to ensure they understand what each medication is for and how to take it.

How can healthcare providers improve their communication skills to better cater to patients with low health literacy?

Providers can slow down their speech, use simple and relatable language, focus on the most important information, involve family members, use visual aids, and employ the teach-back method to check understanding.

What is the potential financial impact of low health literacy on the healthcare system?

Low health literacy can lead to increased use of healthcare services and higher healthcare costs, estimated at an additional 50 to 73 billion dollars every year.

Why is creating a shame-free environment in healthcare important for patients with low health literacy?

A shame-free environment encourages patients to feel safe and more comfortable, making them more likely to reveal their literacy problems and receive the necessary help and understanding from healthcare providers.

What are some techniques healthcare providers can use to ensure patients understand their medical instructions?

Techniques include using visual aids, breaking down complex information into simple terms, employing the teach-back method to verify understanding, and involving family members in discussions to provide additional support.

How can the use of visual aids and models benefit patients with low health literacy?

Visual aids and models can help patients with low health literacy by providing a more concrete and relatable way to understand complex medical information, making it easier for them to remember and follow instructions.

Outlines

00:00

😷 Health Literacy Challenges and Their Impact

The first paragraph addresses the issue of health literacy, highlighting the struggles of individuals with limited literacy skills to understand and act on medical information. It discusses the personal experiences of a patient who missed medication dosages and faced difficulties in communicating with healthcare providers due to an inability to read properly. The paragraph emphasizes the widespread nature of health literacy challenges, affecting nearly half of Americans, and the disconnect between patient abilities and healthcare communication. It also points out the high stakes of inadequate health literacy, including increased hospitalization rates and the potential for legal issues due to misunderstanding consent forms.

05:01

📉 The Economic and Emotional Costs of Low Health Literacy

This paragraph delves into the financial and emotional consequences of low health literacy. It reveals the significant healthcare costs incurred due to increased service use by patients with inadequate literacy, amounting to an estimated 50 to 73 billion dollars annually. The narrative includes a personal account of a patient's experience, illustrating the fear and anxiety associated with illiteracy in a healthcare setting. The paragraph also discusses the legal implications of patients giving uninformed consent due to not understanding medical documents, and the emotional burden of hiding literacy issues from healthcare providers.

10:02

🤝 Creating a Shame-Free Environment for Better Health Communication

The third paragraph focuses on the importance of establishing a shame-free and supportive environment in healthcare facilities to improve communication with patients. It suggests the use of simple questionnaires to identify patients with literacy issues and emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to be attentive to signs of struggle. The paragraph provides examples of how to engage patients in a non-judgmental manner, such as through the Brown Bag test for medication understanding and taking a detailed social history to uncover potential literacy challenges.

15:03

💬 Enhancing Communication Skills for Clearer Health Instructions

This paragraph discusses strategies for healthcare providers to improve their communication with patients to ensure understanding. It advises slowing down the pace of speech, using simple and relatable language, and focusing on the most critical information. The paragraph also highlights the effectiveness of visual aids and the importance of confirming patients' understanding through the 'teach-back' method. Personal anecdotes from patients and providers illustrate the positive outcomes of these communication techniques, such as better medication management and increased patient confidence.

20:04

👨‍⚕️ Encouraging Patient Engagement and Understanding

The final paragraph underscores the collective responsibility of healthcare providers to create a shame-free environment and to employ effective communication techniques. It encourages the involvement of the entire staff in identifying and supporting patients with low health literacy. The paragraph outlines simple yet impactful methods such as using 'living room language,' involving family members, and utilizing visual aids to enhance understanding. It concludes with a call to action for physicians to share their successful techniques and to continue learning about health literacy to better serve their patients.

Keywords

💡Health Literacy

Health literacy refers to the ability to read, understand, and act on medical information. It is a critical concept in the video, as it highlights the challenges faced by individuals with limited health literacy skills. The video emphasizes that millions of adult Americans lack adequate health literacy, leading to confusion, frustration, and a sense of helplessness when dealing with healthcare information. For instance, the script mentions that patients with inadequate health literacy are more likely to be hospitalized for chronic illnesses.

💡Misunderstanding Medication

Misunderstanding medication is a recurring issue in the video, illustrating the consequences of poor health literacy. It is exemplified by the transcript's reference to a patient who did not take medicine correctly due to not understanding the instructions. The video script also mentions the phrase 'one cap one caps' to demonstrate how unclear medication instructions can be for those with limited literacy skills.

💡Functional Illiteracy

Functional illiteracy is a level of limited literacy skills where an individual cannot perform basic reading tasks. The video script points out that one in five adult Americans are functionally illiterate, which significantly affects their ability to understand and act on health information. This concept is integral to understanding the broader issue of health literacy challenges presented in the video.

💡Communication Disconnect

Communication disconnect in healthcare refers to the gap between the language used by healthcare professionals and the language understood by patients. The video script discusses how healthcare information is often communicated at a level higher than the average American's reading comprehension, leading to misunderstandings. This concept is central to the video's theme of the importance of effective healthcare communication.

💡Shame-Free Environment

A shame-free environment in healthcare is one where patients feel comfortable disclosing their limitations without fear of judgment or embarrassment. The video emphasizes creating such an environment to help patients with low health literacy feel supported. For example, the script mentions that patients should feel safe to admit their literacy skills to their physicians and receive help.

💡Brown Bag Test

The Brown Bag test is a method used to review a patient's medications by having them bring all their medications in a bag to the doctor's office. The video script describes this as an effective way to ensure patients understand their medication regimen. It is a practical example of how healthcare providers can help bridge the gap in health literacy.

💡Living Room Language

Living room language refers to the use of simple, everyday language by healthcare providers to communicate with patients. The video script suggests using such language to ensure patients understand their health conditions and instructions. It is an example of the video's message on the importance of clear and accessible communication in healthcare.

💡Medication Compliance

Medication compliance is the act of taking medications as prescribed by a healthcare provider. The video script discusses the challenges patients with low health literacy face in complying with their medication schedules due to misunderstandings. It is highlighted as a significant issue that impacts patient health outcomes.

💡Informed Consent

Informed consent is the process by which a patient understands and voluntarily agrees to a medical procedure or treatment. The video script mentions the risk of patients signing consent forms without fully understanding them due to literacy barriers, which can lead to legal implications and adverse outcomes.

💡Healthcare Costs

Healthcare costs in the context of the video refer to the financial burden associated with patients who have low health literacy. The script states that these patients use healthcare services more often, leading to increased costs estimated at 50 to 73 billion dollars every year. This keyword is crucial for understanding the economic impact of health literacy issues.

💡Teach Back Method

The teach back method is a communication technique where healthcare providers ask patients to explain what they have understood from the medical information provided. The video script suggests using this method to ensure patients have correctly understood their instructions. It exemplifies the video's emphasis on effective communication strategies in healthcare.

Highlights

Health literacy is crucial for understanding and acting on medical information, yet millions of adult Americans lack adequate health literacy skills.

Patients with limited health literacy often face challenges in adhering to medical instructions and may experience increased hospitalization.

Healthcare information is frequently communicated at a level higher than the average American's reading comprehension, leading to confusion and frustration.

Functionally illiterate patients may not understand basic medical instructions, such as dosage or appointment scheduling.

Health literacy challenges are not limited to the less educated; even highly educated patients can struggle with complex medical terminology.

The financial impact of low health literacy on the healthcare system is significant, with increased service use and costs estimated at 50 to 73 billion dollars annually.

Creating a shame-free environment in healthcare settings can help patients feel more comfortable discussing their health literacy challenges.

Using simple language and visual aids can significantly improve patient understanding of medical instructions and conditions.

The 'Brown Bag test' is an effective method for healthcare providers to ensure patients understand their medication regimens.

Patients may hide their health literacy issues due to fear of embarrassment, which can lead to improper treatment or misunderstanding of medical conditions.

Incomplete forms or prolonged time spent on forms can be indicators of potential health literacy issues among patients.

Engaging family members in healthcare discussions can help support patients with limited health literacy and ensure better understanding.

The 'teach back' method is a valuable tool for healthcare providers to confirm that patients have correctly understood medical instructions.

Healthcare providers can use analogies and relatable examples to explain complex medical concepts, enhancing patient comprehension.

Patients with low health literacy may not understand the purpose of their medications, leading to non-adherence or incorrect usage.

Healthcare providers should be aware of the emotional toll that health literacy challenges can take on patients and provide support accordingly.

The American Medical Association encourages healthcare providers to find and implement effective communication techniques to improve patient understanding.

Transcripts

I I was sick a lot I was sick a lot

because I probably missed dosage and

didn't realize it um I was in the

hospital a lot when they did give me

medicine I didn't take it right I admit

to it I just didn't understand them and

I didn't have the nerve to ask

them the right way of doing it I just

didn't have the nerve to ask them and I

didn't want anyone to know I couldn't

read we had a child that was physically

handicapped that I had to do physical

therapy on I would show up on Tuesdays

instead of Thursdays for the appointment

I would be exercising the wrong side of

the body I had an abscess in a ear one

time well I had to fill out forms and it

couldn't fill out so I didn't go I come

back home I ended up having to go to the

emergency room that night because it

burst

health literacy is the ability to read

understand and act on medical

information unfortunately millions of

adult Americans lack adequate health

literacy

skills the doctors researchers and

patients in this video are real Not

actors the situations frustrations and

complications are also

real nearly half of Americans have

health literacy challenges odds are some

of them are your

patients can you imagine what it's like

um you being a patient and

sick and uh you know that you have

limited skills okay and you're talking

to an intelligent doctor like yourselves

and these people are are using words

that you really don't know because

they're not speaking in layman's term

okay most doctors are just presuming

that everybody's intelligent as they are

and that is just not the case so what

you do you come out of that uh that that

room that examination room with this

intelligent woman or man

thinking God I hope I don't make a

mistake with my medicine cuz I did not

understand anything he or she say it to

me the heart of the problem is a

disconnect between patient ability and

healthc Care

communication the average American reads

at an eighth grade level but Healthcare

information is often communicated at a

college graduate level this disconnect

leads to confusion frustration and a

feeling of helplessness for patients and

Physicians while Healthcare information

can confuse even highly educated

patients those most vulnerable to

misunderstanding are the one in five

adult Americans who are functionally

illiterate take one one caps one

caps that's right one cap one

caps I don't know what this is twice

twice daily okay okay so what so how

would you take this well I see it's not

only telling you how to take it it say

take it twice daily but it don't say

what time to take it for people with

limited literacy skills the world can be

a challenging one 21% of adult Americans

can't read the front page of a newspaper

48% can't decipher a bus schedule or

make sense of a bar graph the problem is

even worse in the healthare setting

where emotions run high and vocabulary

is unfamiliar based on our decade of

research on health literacy our research

group has documented clearly that

patients who have inadequate health

literacy are more likely to be

hospitalized for their chronic illnesses

and this is regardless of their

socioeconomic status whether or not they

have a primary care provider regardless

of how ill they are and tell me which

one is which and what you take them

for that looks like my medicine that he

gave me for the in morning I take that

and the little pill well this is Matra

this is uh lipian in it yeah that's

lipian okay and what do you take that

medicine for don't ask me he puts me on

there and I put I just take it okay

anything he tells me to take I'll take

it okay so you trust him oh you better

believe it my life research has shown

that many patients have a hard time

understanding basic medical instruction

26% didn't understand when their next

appointment was scheduled 42% didn't

understand instructions to take

medication on an empty stomach 86%

couldn't understand the rights and

responsibility section of a Medicaid

application do you know what

hypertension means if I asked you what

that was because when I look at this I

think well maybe you have hypertension

and I've been taking care of that for a

long time hyper M hyper like you're

hyper what does being hyper mean to you

that's that's um where you can't be Ste

you always got to be doing something do

I do you think I think you're hyper and

have hyper

tension I I don't know I that's what I

consider it okay it being you know okay

but you know you have high blood

pressure okay but hypertension doesn't

mean the same to

you so if I ask you if you have

hypertension you're going to just think

I think you're jumping around on the

chair or something like that something

different just being hyper you know okay

all right well I haven't done a very

good job teaching you what I

hypertension is because I think you take

that medicine for your hypertension and

that's one of the things that I try to

work with you on is your blood

pressure and high blood pressure and

hypertension to us is the same thing the

same thing yeah low health literacy

impacts patients and all aspects of the

Health Care system in many ways in

financial terms patients with low health

literacy use Health Care Services more

often and increase health care costs by

an estimated 50 to 73 billion every year

the cost of patients can be equally high

at approximately 30 or 31 I went into

the gynecologist and complained about

part of this not working

correctly and he said we can repair that

great I didn't ask all the right

questions when I showed up two weeks

later at the Admissions Office at the

hospital they put enough papers in front

of me I'll bet there were five papers

that I needed to sign well I wasn't

going to say excuse me but I don't read

really well and I certainly don't read

fast and I'm concerned with some of

these words to me it was lines and

circles over sheets and sheets and

sheets and I wasn't going to reveal my

sense of stupidity so I signed

everywhere they told me to

sign never read it and then uh couple

weeks later in the follow-up office

visit the nurse said how are you feeling

since you're his Direct

me now I acted as normal as I could

inside my mouth fell open and I thought

to myself how could I be so stupid as to

allow somebody to take part of my body

and I didn't know it a patient signs a

consent form that they don't understand

they undergo a procedure and there's an

adverse outcome that might have been one

of the risks there are legal cases

clearly showing that these individuals

can sue successfully in this setting

because they did not give informed

consent the majority of patients try to

hide this the majority of patients are

not aware of it fully they believe this

is their fault that they don't

understand if you have a reading problem

you go to the doctor that can be very

scary it's like a

nightmare you walk in that office and um

most if you realize first thing you

going to have to do if that's your first

visit is fill out of

form your heart beats real fast you're

scared you don't know what to do you

want to turn around and walk out I have

you have panic attacks did I do it right

is this done right am I imagining things

do I go back over and check it again um

I've caught mistakes that I made simple

mistakes it it paralyzes your ever your

thoughts completely to think that you

may say something or or or something is

put before you to read and you can't

read it I mean you live with that on a

daily basis people sooner or later will

discover and that is your most greatest

fear what day is it going to be when

somebody discovers you can't read and

write I would get mad about something

and blame them that this is not the

right place for me you're not respecting

me and walk out

and it had nothing to do with that it

was just I need to cover that I couldn't

read this I didn't need them I didn't

want them to know that I'm walking out

because I can't read so you found

solutions that sort of make it work it

and hide the real problem yes so that

others won't notice it right doesn't

that take a lot of your time yes doesn't

it take a lot of effort for you a lot

very

emotionally yeah it drains you

yep okay it almost doesn't matter why

they're having problems understanding

it's my job to overcome that barrier so

that I can get them the information they

need to let me help them while we're

waiting for research to be done on this

topic so that we understand the best way

to educate patients we can still use the

advice of the true experts both patients

and Physicians who've cared for these

patients there are some things that we

can do to help this one we need to make

sure that the environment in which we

deliver the care is an open environment

and shame free

creating a shame-free environment in a

doctor's office or a hospital means that

there's an attitude of helpfulness by

every person there when I walk into a

doctor's office or a reception room I

would like to be treated as even though

I'm a stranger that they know me good

morning sir because you're walking into

an what you might consider a hostile

environment it drops the defense all the

guards are down the walls are down the

line lines of communications are up

patients want to be able to feel safe

that they can tell the physician about

their literacy skills about their

inability to understand their medical

condition and receive help creating a

shame free environment can start with

the forms that patients fill out as a

screen for health literacy first to

identify them short and quick a

questionnaire seven or eight questions

and these are straightforward questions

I mean we've really geared it at fifth

grade level and some of them can't

answer the questions but since the form

is present on my desk then I can

immediately notice if they haven't

answer the questions so during the

interview I can bring that

up you know my medical assistant I I

noticed earlier was um helping you out

with the uh with our questionnaire yes I

I'm dyslexic so I have a difficulty in

Reading

yes and also with auditory memory so

things that I forget so I'll ask you to

you know write them down or I'll have my

husband come in and whatever you we

discuss so that I have a a memory when

we had a patient a form we don't just

hand them the form and then they sit

down and we kind of forget about them so

if they're having a difficult time you

can pretty much tell from how long

they've actually had the form if I see

somebody sitting with that clipboard in

their hand for 5 minutes then I know

that something is wrong I take a

detailed social history which gives me

information about a lot of things other

than just their literacy their cultural

background and approach to Health Care

um how much education they've had is a

big question and I always ask people who

have had limited education or say that

they have had difficulty in school I

always ask them how happy they are with

how they read or how well they read and

often it's as if people have been

waiting for somebody to ask them that

and I've gotten a lot of mileage out of

that particular question what kind of

work do you do I'm a pharmacist tech and

a Pharm or a DME technician DME durable

medical equipment oh okay and how far

did you go in school 12th

grade how happy are you with how you

read I'm not very good I'm i' there's

always room for improvement I'm better

than I used to be um it's not my reading

that really troubles me is my writing

one of the important interaction

that can contribute to a shame-free

environment is how you review a

patient's medications with them a very

effective way to ensure that the

patients understand how to take those

medications is to have them bring those

medications into the office it's

commonly called the Brown Bag test and

then I sit down with the patient and say

show me how you're supposed to take

these

medications how did you get from the

doctor writing you a prescription for

you to getting to where you knew what

pill came out of what pill bottle um by

just by I guess I think what I

did is the recognition of letters but

not being able to read the

word I I could recognize the letter and

I knew that would be my Acolyte and if

they're different colors and different

things that helps but sometimes because

two of my pills

accolate and

um my

tranquilizer are the same almost the

same they're the same color but because

of the size I have to put them together

to make sure I'm not taking two of the

same thing so I try to be very careful

there are times if I don't feel well if

I'm not thinking right I'm in a hurry I

have taken the two tranquilizers instead

of one Accolade and one

tranquilizer if someone can read They're

going to pick up the pill bottle and

read the label and tell you how to take

it whereas a patient who has inadequate

health literacy is going to pick up that

pill bottle take off the top and they're

going to look and say ah this is my oval

little blue pill this must be my pill

for my

diabetes I think my biggest asset is my

front desk and my staff they're very

good at making sure that things happen

in a timely fashion and they can then

give me a heads up about someone who

they don't think can read the second

thing Physicians need to do is improve

their communication skills

when you're trying to ensure patients

understand you can slow down don't speak

so quickly so that the patients can

understand what you're

saying well you're right about the

arthritis okay it does affect the joints

yes patients or anyone can only remember

one two or three things from a

conversation identify what's most

important to teach that patient and

ensure they understand that before they

walk out of the door and go home in the

form of arthritis that you have which is

the most common okay usually what

happens is that inside the joint there

are two bones at least two bones okay

and the bones are just rubbing walk use

living room language use language that

anybody walking on the street would

understand not just the nurse and

another

doctor you mentioned earlier that you

were working on your home yes 100 years

old you notice my door it

creaks it wears down that door has a

little oil so it doesn't Creak when that

oil wears off starts creaking what was

interesting is that he used visual aids

in the sense of he made a visual picture

of what was going on um describing

arthritis as being a joint in a door

frame and not having oil so this really

helps out in the fact that you have a

visual picture of what might be going on

in your body it doesn't matter whether

people are Highly Educated because this

stuff is difficult to understand they're

not doctors and since they're not

doctors they shouldn't understand

doctor's terms I am married to an

engineer now and this man has some

health issues so we are in the doctor's

office from time to

time we will walk out of the doctor's

office and my husband with all of that

left-brained intellect will say to

me what did the doctor say what what am

I supposed to do I don't understand Mary

U brought in her husband and it was it

was very clear from the uh from the

beginning once they were together how

they have a dynamic that works and the

majority of things that she does in

healthcare she may not be able to go

100% with it but he's there to fill in

the Gap I use a lot of posters I have

lots of posters and models and I think

people remember it better if they can

see it or if it's Associated to

something that they understand already

so I think the models and the visuals

all make a big difference if the patient

comes in with medication a lot of times

they're on so many medications they're

confused on when to take it what it's

for so we do have a medication

compliance sheet and we do actually tape

a pill that they bring in in out of

their medicine bottle we tape it to the

sheet we write down when they take it

and what the medication's for it's

really important that you don't say do

you understand because they're going to

say yeah and that'll be the end of it

and you won't know what they understand

they may understand but it may not be

what you

said um I think I use a teach the

teacher mechanism it's like now that you

know this I know you've got friends when

they ask about this issue

how are you going to tell them what are

you going to say well one of the things

that you can do if you have a really bad

pain I mean where you can't stand on it

and it's it's really getting in your way

is to use what I call this is my little

pain protocol

here it has ibuprofen which decreases

those little cells I was talking to you

about the inflame part and your Tylenol

that just works on the pain yeah and the

I is for ibuprofen and T is for Tylenol

and this just shows you how to do it

over the course of the day for breakfast

lunch and dinner there's an I so you use

ibuprofen right cuz you have to have

something on your stomach that's right

with that one cuz this one will irritate

your stomach so in between meals and at

bedtime you use the Tylenol right this

way you get something every 3 hours you

don't overdose on either one so it's it

it it and if you do that for a couple of

days when it's really bad then you can

just go back to to your regular regimen

but this usually breaks the pain pretty

nicely so I know you have a lot of

friends with arthritis how would you

explain it to them well for bre I take I

10:00 a.m. I take

T lunch I take

I 300 p.m. I take

t i at dinner and T at bedtime is that

correct that's going to work just fine

thank you very much I think there are a

lot lot of simple things that Physicians

can do to improve their office and make

it a shame-free environment there's a

lot of simple things doctors can do to

ensure their patients understand them

and ensure these patients have better

health as we've seen a shame free

environment is one that conveys an

attitude of helpfulness it's a safe

place where patients feel more

comfortable and are more likely to

reveal literacy problems engage the

entire staff and remember there are

clues that indicate the possibility of

low health Literacy for example

incomplete forms Clues can also come

from the information derived from the

social history and insights gleaned from

the medication review as far as

improving communication keep in mind

these simple techniques slow down use

living room language convey only the

most important Concepts involve family

members use visual aids and employ the

teach back

method the Physicians you have just seen

are using a variety of communication

techniques to better inform their

patients as research continues to une

Earth best practices we ask you to join

them and all of us at the AMA in finding

and implementing simple ways to

communicate with all your

patients please let us know what

techniques you have tried and what has

worked in your

practice there's no question when a

patient understands how to take their

medication when a patient recognizes

that the physician really cares about

them their face lights

up and that is so gratifying to see that

in a patient

that they know their doctor cares about

them and that they now know how to best

take care of themselves see the manual

that accompanies this video and visit

www.am foundation.org to learn more

about health literacy and techniques you

can use in your practice