Using Health Literate Materials to Improve Patient Education

Community Healthcare Network (CHN) is a not-for-profit FQHC with 12 health centers in New York City. CHN sees over 75,000 patients annually and consists of over 450 employees. In 2011, CHN launched an agency-wide health literacy initiative. The goal of the initiative is to improve patient outcomes by creating an organizational culture based on health literacy principles.

The use of written materials is an important component of effective patient education. Unlike verbal instructions, patient education materials act as a permanent record of patient instructions.¹ Although the average adult in the United States cannot read above an eighth-grade level, most patient education materials are written on a high-school or college reading level.¹ CHN recognized this disparity and mandated into policy that all patient materials be approved for health literacy prior to use. This policy ensures that all patient materials, including educational materials, patient letters and registration forms, consent forms, and marketing materials meet written health literacy standards. Leaders of the health literacy initiative at CHN have reviewed and modified almost 1000 materials to date.

This presentation will address what constitutes a health literate material and will build skills that enable participants to identify and create health literate patient materials. CHN has extensive experience in creating and revising materials to ensure they adhere to written health literacy standards. By sharing our expertise, individuals who work with patients will be better prepared to review their patient materials to ensure health literacy and improve patient education.

1. Aldridge MD. Writing and Designing Readable Patient Education Materials. Nephrology Nursing Journal. July-Aug 2004; 31(4).