Improving the Health Literacy Skills of Health Professionals - A Web-Based Training

Background: Everyday, the public encounters health-related information that leaves many with unanswered questions.  Much of the blame for not understanding has historically been placed on the patient/health consumer.  However, it is important for public health professionals to understand how the practices of public health and medicine contribute to limited health literacy.  Technical terminology; confusing statistics; unclear recommendations; over-reliance on written communication; a focus on awareness rather than action; and limited use of cultural practices when targeting information and interventions all are part of practices that make health information too difficult for many adults to understand and use. 

Program background:  The Health Literacy Training fulfills a need to provide professional development opportunities for the public health work force and others who provide health communication and services to the general public to improve health literacy practice.  The objectives of the training are to:

1. Increase public health practitioners’ knowledge and skills of health literacy so they can improve the effectiveness of public health education and resources
2. Provide participants with practical health literacy strategies and tools that can be applied to public health practice.   

Evaluation Methods and Results:  An extensive literature review and interviews with health literacy experts and state/local public health agencies were conducted to collect information on health literacy trends, needs, and existing statewide initiatives.  Information collected was adapted to reflect health literacy within a public health context.  Examples were extracted from interviews with experts and state/local health agencies and incorporated into the training.  The training was designed according to principles of adult learning theory. In April 2009, the training was pilot tested with public health professionals from various areas of practice including nursing, medicine, health education, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy; and was publicly released in November 2009. The training includes 4 modules: 1) Introduction; 2) What is Health Literacy?; 3) Why does Health Literacy Matter?; and 4) Applying Health Literacy to Practice, and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.  As of March 2010, 350 people registered for the training, and 227 completed it. Of the 224 persons who completed the end-of-course evaluation, 85% agreed or strongly agreed the content and learning materials addressed a gap in knowledge and skills. 87% agreed or strongly agreed the training met educational needs, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed they can apply knowledge gained from the training in their work. 

Conclusions:  The Health Literacy Training program is an effective tool for reaching health professionals with research-based information on health literacy. The tool provides an opportunity for all health professionals who create, share, and communicate health information for and to the public to build their health literacy skills. 

Implications for research and/or practice: This health literacy training is the first targeted at health professionals working in public health settings.  There are few other opportunities that exist for public health professionals to learn about health literacy and apply its principles to their work.  Continued research and education is necessary to build professionals’ skills and achieve successful communication with the public.