Tuesday, September 22, 2015
South West Self Management Program
October is Health Literacy Month. Help spread the word!
This October, the South West Self Management Program wants to invite health care organizations in the South West LHIN to join them in promoting Health Literacy Month.
Here’s a few ways you can help promote health literacy this October:
- Write about Health Literacy in your newsletters, post on your intranet and share on bulletin boards
- Promote our free healthcare provider workshops within your organizations or attend one on October 2 in London or October 20 in Owen Sound
- Attend our free webinar on October 7th Health Literate Organizations: Eliminating Barriers and Increasing Understanding
- Help distribute and share our free Teach Back cards with staff and patients
Health Care Provider Workshops
We offer evidence based training for health care providers that provides practical, easy to implement solutions that can be used to help patients in achieving their goals. Register at www.swselfmangement.ca.
Teach Back Cards
The simple Teach Back technique ensures that patients understand what they need to do for their health. We’ve created special cards for patients and professionals to remind them to use Teach Back. By promoting Teach Back and distributing the cards we hope to help decrease the risk of miscommunication. The cards are free. Call us to place an order or download them from our website.
In order for providers and patients to work as partners, we must address the importance of clear communication.
- In Canada, 60% of adults have low health literacy including 88% of seniors
- 1 in 3 patients discharged do not understand the answers to their questions
- People feel that health care providers use jargon and unfamiliar language
Low health literacy is a state not a trait and can affect anyone of us at any time. Let’s make Teach Back an always event…not only during October, but all year long!
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