Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Health literacy'.
Found 51 results
-
EventuntilThe Patient Information Forum (PIF) is hosting a new two-day workshop offering key data on health literacy and digital exclusion, plus top tips and examples of good practice. This streamlined health and digital literacy training has been developed in response to feedback from PIF members. It explores the key health and digital literacy challenges facing the UK and the potential solutions. Examples of good practice will be shared throughout. Key topics An introduction to health literacy What is the health literacy challenge and who is affected? Solutions to the health literacy challenge Becoming a health-literacy friendly organisation An introduction to digital literacy The challenge of digital exclusion Carrying out a digital inequalities assessment Overcoming digital inequalities Cost Members - £250 Non-members - £400 including VAT Register for the workshop
-
Content ArticleRisks and statistics are an essential part of patient information. What is a person’s risk of developing a particular condition in their lifetime, or of having a certain symptom if they have that condition? What are the risk factors for a disease, and can people change these? What is the chance of a treatment or procedure working? And what is the risk of getting the different side-effects and complications that can come with it? Many patients are unable to comprehend basic statistics, never mind navigate their way through the reams of data that may come with health information to compare treatment options. As information producers, our job is to make sure we can guide patients through the minefield of data and figures to help them feel confident in making their own decisions. This guide from the Patient Information Forum highlights a range of approaches and tools for unbiased communication. This resource covers the following topics: illustrating risk, perceptions of risk, know your numbers, explaining uncertainty, useful resources and references.
-
Content ArticlePoor health literacy can inhibit patient or caregiver understanding of care instructions and threaten patient safety. This cross-sectional study from Selzer et al. of medically complex children treated at one academic hospital in Austria reveals that despite high levels of satisfaction with care, many caregivers do not understand medication management instructions at discharge. Misunderstandings were more likely to occur with higher numbers and/or new prescriptions, poor medication-related communication, and language or literacy barriers.
-
Content ArticleHealthcare decision making should be a collaboration between patients and their providers. This eBook produced by Pfizer is for patients, caregivers and care team members. It aims to help empower individuals on their healthcare journey so they can be engaged patients who understand the health information they receive in order to act upon it.
-
Content ArticlePrimary care services are the front door to the NHS - they are the first port of call when we feel unwell and the main coordinator of care when we are living with health conditions. The primary care team have an important role in making people feel welcomed, listened to and taken seriously. Yet we often hear examples about people who have not had their communication needs met within primary care. This includes people with sensory impairments, people with learning disabilities, autistic people, people living with dementia, people who don’t speak English fluently, people with low or no literacy, people who are digitally excluded, people living nomadically, people experiencing homelessness and many others. This report sets out the key issues faced by people with specific communication needs within primary care and what they feel would make the biggest difference, as well as key actions primary care leaders and teams can take to support inclusive communication.
-
Content Article
This 1-page infographic makes the case for the development of health literate information. It sets out the average UK skills for literacy and numeracy, the impact this has on health and what information producers can do to develop information that works for everyone. The principles for development echo the PIF TICK criteria. They can be applied to all health information, in all formats whatever the topic – from vaccines to verruca. The infographic has been designed in response to member demand. It makes the case that health literate information is not 'dumbed down', rather it helps level up. -
Content ArticleHealth literacy, defined as an individual's ability to access, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare, plays a critical role in determining health outcomes. Wider determinants of health, on the other hand, refer to a range of social, economic, and environmental factors that influence an individual's health status. This article aims to explore the relationship between health literacy and the wider determinants of health, and how understanding this connection can contribute to more effective population health management and health equity.
-
Content ArticleThis Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) investigation focuses on the systems used by healthcare providers to book patient appointments for clinical investigations, such as diagnostic tests and scans. ‘Clinical investigation booking systems’ are used throughout the NHS to support the delivery of patient care. Healthcare services use paper-based or fully electronic systems, or a combination of the two (hybrid systems), to communicate to patients the time, date and location of their appointment. These systems also produce information for patients about actions they need to take to prepare for their appointment. Written patient communication is a key output of clinical investigation booking systems. This investigation examines the safety implications of patient communications, produced by booking systems, that do not account for the needs of the patient. In addition, it looks at why patients are ‘lost to follow-up’ after an appointment is cancelled, rescheduled or not attended. Lost to follow-up is the term used to describe a patient who does not return for planned appointments (whether for continued care or evaluations) or is no longer being tracked in the healthcare system when they should be.
-
Content Article
The Patient Information Forum (PIF) and the Patients Association have published a report setting out simple steps to remove barriers to shared decision making. The aim is to help patients and healthcare professionals make the most of short appointment times. The report, Removing barriers to shared decision-making, is based on a co-production project which ran throughout 2022 in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board. They worked with the My Life Choices lived experience panel, healthcare professionals and the personalised care team to develop resources to support shared decision making for people experiencing joint pain (musculoskeletal conditions). Most of the findings can be applied to shared decision-making in general. This report outlines key findings and recommendations. It also shares the co-produced resources developed throughout the project. -
Content ArticleThe Diabetes Record Information Standard defines the information needed to support a person’s diabetes management. It includes information that could be recorded by health and care professionals or the person themselves that is relevant to the diabetes care of the person and should be shared between different care providers. It was commissioned by NHS England and developed in partnership with the Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB). The Diabetes Self-Management Information Standard defines the information that could be recorded by the person themselves (or their carer) at home (either using digital apps or medical technology, for example, continuous glucose monitors or insulin pumps) and shared with health and care professionals.
-
Content ArticleThis report outlines the results of the Patient Information Forum's (PIF's) 2022 survey and sets out progress made in the crucial areas of health and digital literacy since the Covid-19 pandemic.
-
Content ArticleA key priority for all involved in the development, manufacture and prescription of medicines is safety. To keep patients safe, regulators and pharmaceutical manufacturers have a statutory obligation to provide product information covering the most important instructions on how to take medicines correctly. This report by Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) outlines the findings of a project around the accessibility of medication information. Patients, carers, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and senior healthcare system stakeholders were asked what they think about current medicines product information, and if it could be improved using digital solutions.
-
Content Article
The words used in healthcare to communicate to patients, either in person or in writing, can significantly impact patient safety. From the barriers created by jargon to phrases that dismiss, offend or stem from bias, the case for health information to be clear, accessible and inclusive has been made time and again. In this blog, we've picked out seven resources that have been shared on the hub, to highlight just a few ways language can affect a patient's journey, and ultimately their safety. -
Content Article
Pausitivity - Know your menopause poster
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Women's health
This simple poster highlights the main symptoms of the menopause including hot flushes. headaches, mood swings, palpitations and tiredness. It encourages women to recognise the symptoms and seek help from their GP. -
Content ArticleWeb-based personal health records (PHRs) have the potential to improve the quality, accuracy and timeliness of health care. However, the international uptake of web-based PHRs has been slow. Populations experiencing disadvantages are less likely to use web-based PHRs, potentially widening health inequities within and among countries. This study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research aimed to identify the predictors of awareness, engagement and use of the Australian national web-based PHR, My Health Record (MyHR). The study found a strong and consistent association between digital health literacy and the use of a web-based PHR. The authors suggest that improving digital technology and skill experiences may improve digital health literacy and willingness to engage in web-based PHR. They also suggest that uptake could be improved through more responsive digital services, strengthened healthcare and better social support.
-
Content ArticleIt is important that patients understand both verbal and written health information, including clinical explanations, recommendations, instructions and educational materials. However, health information and services often are unfamiliar and confusing, and many people struggle with health literacy and numeracy. Taking steps to help patients understand health information is therefore important to patient engagement and patient-centred care. This checklist is designed to help healthcare providers evaluate their current approaches to ensuring patient understanding and identify potential gaps and opportunities for improvement.
-
Content ArticlePolicymakers are increasingly emphasising the role of health services in addressing social and economic factors that shape health, but guidance on how this should be done in practice is limited. This long read from The Health Foundation outlines a framework to understand potential approaches for NHS organisations to address social factors that shape health, focusing on local and regional action. It describes four categories of potential approaches, from more narrow interventions focused on improving care for individual patients, to broader partnerships to improve health of populations.
-
Content ArticleRealistic Medicine is Scotland's approach to a sustainable health and social care system. The Realistic Medicine Podcast shares the stories, experiences and projects of teams and communities across Scotland. In this episode, Dr Graham Kramer, National Clinical Lead for Self Management and Health Literacy, talks about health literacy and the importance of people being able to understand and engage in their own health and healthcare.
-
EventuntilTo address health disparities, we need to focus on improving health literacy, digital literacy and digital access. In this 30-minute live webinar and Q&A from Health Education England, you will find out about our newly available maps and online tool using, place-based geodata to identify levels of health literacy and digital access in your area. The session will also introduce easy read resources for shared decision making, co-produced with experts by experience, and how to use these are part of a series of steps to address local health disparities. Register for the webinar
-
Content ArticleHappy Patient is a three-year project co-funded by the European Union, that seeks to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by decreasing the inappropriate use of antibiotics for the management of common community-acquired infection. Up to 25,000 people die every year in Europe as a direct consequence of the misuse of antibiotics, a figure that rises up to 30,000 in the United States (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control). The Happy Patient Website offers a variety of communication tools for healthcare professionals and patients, including: Leaflet - Viruses or bacteria: What caused your infection? Urinary tract infections: A leaflet for older adults and their families Antibiotics prescription pad 5 myths about urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home residents What you need to know if you have been prescribed an antibiotic
-
Content ArticleThese resource lists compiled by US insurance company MedPro Group, highlight a number of expert and evidence-based sources that can be used to increase awareness of safety issues, identify areas of risk and determine mitigation strategies. They cover a wide range of healthcare safety topics: Advanced practice providers Anaesthesia and surgery Artificial Intelligence Bed safety and entrapment in senior care Behavioural health Behavioural health in senior care Burnout in healthcare Culture of safety Cybersecurity Disclosure of unanticipated outcomes Disruptive behaviour Elder abuse Electronic Health Records Emergency medical Treatment and Labour Act Emergency preparedness and response Emergency preparedness and response in senior care organisations Ergonomics and safe patient handling Falls and fall risk in older adults Handoffs and care transitions Health equity and social determinants of health Health literacy and cultural competence Healthcare-associated infections Healthcare compliance HIPAA Human trafficking and trauma-informed care Infection prevention and control in ambulatory care settings Infection prevention and control in dentistry Infection prevention and control in senior care organisations Informed consent LGBT+-inclusive care Maternal morbidity and mortality Medical marijuana Medication safety during care transitions Obstetrics and gynaecology Opioid prescribing and pain management Patient engagement Pressure injuries in older adults Sepsis Social media in healthcare Staff shortages and workforce issues Suicide screening in primary care Telehealth/telemedicine Violence prevention in home healthcare Violence prevention in the Emergency Department Wrong-site procedures
-
Content Article
This year, the World Health Organisation’s annual World Patient Safety Day on 17 September 2022 will focus on medication safety, promoting safe medication practices to prevent medication errors and reducing medication-related harm. Patient Safety Learning has pulled together some useful resources from the hub about different aspects of medication safety. Here we list seven tools and articles related to patient engagement and medication safety, including an interview with a patient advocate campaigning for transparency in medicines regulation, a blog outlining family concerns around prescribing and consent, and a number of projects that aim to enhance patient involvement in using medications safely. -
Content ArticleThis poster highlights some key issues associated with by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is caused by inappropriate use of antibiotics. It outlines the objectives and results of the AMR Patient Group, a coalition of patient groups across Europe working to address the serious public health threat posed by AMR. It also outlines the AMR Patient Group's policy recommendations to European and national health authorities.
-
Content Article
This is part of our series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people working for patient safety about their role and what motivates them. Angela talks to us about how her role enables her to promote collaboration for patient safety between different layers of the healthcare system. She also tells us about how Northern Ireland is using World Patient Safety Day 2022 to help the public and healthcare staff understand how they can contribute to medication safety. -
Content ArticleThe Patients Association has put together a jargon buster dictionary designed to give straightforward explanations for many healthcare terms. The document was developed by the Patients Association's lived experience advisory panel, Patient Voices Matter. During its meetings, it became clear that members didn't always know the meanings of some of the words and terms they were hearing during consultations with doctors and other healthcare professionals. Letters from the NHS were identified as a source of a lot of jargon. You can also suggest words and phrases to add to the dictionary.
