The impact of health literacy on cardiovascular disease

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Table 1 Six steps to enhance understanding among patients with low health literacy

Slow down and take time to assess patients' health literacy skills. Use “living room” language instead of medical terminology. Show or draw pictures to enhance understanding and subsequent recall Limit information given at each interaction and repeat instructions Use a “teach back” or “show me” approach to confirm understanding. This approach involves having clinicians take responsibility for adequate teaching by asking patients to demonstrate what they have been told (ie, teach back to you how to take their medications) to ensure that education as been adequate. Be respectful, caring, and sensitive, thereby empowering patients to participate in their own health care.

Reproduced with permission from Williams MV, Davis T, Parker RM, et al. 2002. The role of health literacy in patient-physician communication. Fam Med, 34:383–9. © 2002 The Society of Teachers of Family Medecine.

WilliamsMVDavisTParkerRMThe role of health literacy in patient-physician communicationFam Med200234383912038721

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