Oral

As we transcend into an age of digital interaction where social connectivity is increasingly accessible, unforeseen challenges may thwart public health efforts to promote health literacy and provide credible, accessible, and actionable prevention information to the public. This presentation will discuss some of the ways health literacy is operationalized in Healthy People 2020 and the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. In addition, an overview of new and social media trends in health communication will be provided. At the intersection of health literacy and increased use of the internet, best practices to develop online content for populations with limited health literacy and communicating guidelines (e.g. Physical Activity Guidelines 2008 and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) will be presented and discussed. Finally, we will provide an overview of the characteristics of new and social media strategies. We will facilitate a discussion about the challenges this new landscape poses in effectively communicating health information and its role in decision-making, as well as the opportunities these new platforms offer in terms of engagement, interaction, and other outcomes.

Session Objectives: Discuss health literacy as an evolving construct in Healthy People 2020 and the future direction of health literacy as human connectivity and internet use increases. Describe lessons learned from an the development of the Physical Activity Guidelines 2008, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and a government website focused on prevention information, www.healthfinder.gov; and Discuss emerging challenges posed by new media technologies and strategies to consider in meeting them.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)