Use of reflection in public health education in health literacy

Learning objectives, educational materials and assessment methods are needed to educate health professionals on how to deal with time pressure, resource constraints, and high cognitive demands, avoid stereotyping, and reduce stereotype threat for patients (e.g., elicit patient’s values and strengths, invoke high standards and assurance of patient’s ability to meet those standards, provide external attributions for patient’s anxiety and difficulties, provide cues that diversity is valued). Pragmatic solutions to addressing unconscious bias will contribute to effective teaching about and counteracting negative effects on health outcomes (White-Means, 2009).

 In this presentation, Dr. Braun will discuss “lessons learned” from a recent successful adult education program to improve health insurance literacy which intentionally addressed bias and potential stereotypes.  Reflective practices can help inform the entire process (e.g., talking about what we are going to do, making modifications as needed) in order to effectively communicate with the targeted population.