AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange

November 11, 2009 | Go to past issues.

Featured Topic: Health Literacy

Nearly one in two adults living in the United States has limited health literacy, which affects their ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information, according to a 2004 Institute of Medicine report. The highest rates of limited health literacy are among people who are older, low-income, medically underserved, and minorities.

The featured innovations describe different approaches health professionals used in community-based settings to improve health literacy.

The featured QualityTools provide several resources to assess patient's health literacy and address patients with low health literacy.

This Issue's Featured Innovations:

Health Literacy Tutoring Program Enhances Access to Culturally Appropriate Education, Increases Knowledge and Skills Among Health Profession Students and Elder Immigrants

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Home Visits Using Reflective Approach Improve Functional Health Literacy Among Low-Income Pregnant Women and New Parents

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Interactive Kiosks Enhance Access to Health Care Information for Underserved Women, Leading to Increased Motivation to Adopt Healthier Behaviors

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Other Innovations in this issue:

Intravenous Infusion Safety Initiative Prevents Medication Errors, Leading to Cost Savings and High Nurse Satisfaction

Proactive Patient Rounding Reduces Call Light Use and Falls, Eliminates Pressure Ulcers, and Enhances Patient and Staff Satisfaction

Realistic Simulations Improve Teamwork and Care Processes in the Operating Room

updated Cooperative Network Improves Patient Transitions Between Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities, Reducing Readmissions and Length of Hospital Stays

updated Partnerships between Advanced Practice Nurses and Mental Health Providers Enhance Access to Primary and Preventive Care for Those With Severe Mental Illness and Improve Their Health Outcomes

Go to all Innovations.

This Issue's Featured QualityTools:

Health Literacy Measurement Tools

Health Literacy Toolkit: Better Communication for Better Care

IDEALL Health Project: Improving Diabetes Efforts Across Language and Literacy: Automated Telephone Disease Management (ATDM) Protocol

Other QualityTools in this issue:

Accessible Health Information Technology (IT) for Populations With Limited Literacy: A Guide for Developers and Purchasers of Health IT

Beginnings Guides

Interactive Health Tutorials

Sample Consent Form for Cardiovascular Procedure

Go to all QualityTools.

Last updated: November 11, 2009.

Expert Commentary: Innovative Programs in Health Literacy Reach Underserved Populations.
AHRQ-funded study shows health literacy is linked to happiness.
Tune in to AHRQ's audiofeature on Health Literacy and Understanding Health Information

Have your attempts to improve health care delivery fallen short?
Join us for a free Webinar on Learning from Disappointment: When Your Innovation Falls Short

When: Tuesday, November 17, 2009; 2-3:30 p.m. (EST)

Innovators Cathleen Colon-Emeric at Duke University Medical Center and Dennis Manning at Mayo Clinic will discuss their approaches to learning from attempts and applying lessons learned to future work.

Visit here to register and learn more.

The Health Care Innovations Exchange benefits from the guidance and input of a multidisciplinary group of highly qualified medical professionals.

Thomas A. LaVeist, PhD
Director, Center for Health Disparities Solutions, and Professor, Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Visit all expert biographies.