Hi Everyone,
I got this request on the IHA Health Literacy List and want to share it with you here:
I’ve been asked by a local literacy agency to help them find a “program that might help a [low literacy] parent develop the listening/questioning skills needed during meetings with doctors and medical professionals.” I’ve done some searching and identified some resources such as Healthy Roads Media, AHRQ and KidsHealth.org, plus I know about the “What to Do When Your Child Gets Sick” book from IHA. Another colleague suggested the Joint Commission videos at http://www.jointcommission.org/topics/speakup_posters_and_videos.aspx. I’m hoping one or more of you might know of some additional resources I’ve missed? If so, please advise – thanks in advance!
Please share any ideas you have!
Thanks,
Julie
Comments
Here is a great resource for learning skills for talking with medical professionals:
Preparing for your Doctor's Visit
This is from the Doctor's Visit Tool Kit from The Literacy Coalition of Central Texas
Take a look!
Julie
Here's an article about teaching kids from an early age to feel comfortable asking questions to their doctor. It brings up the point that asking questions is a social skill that will develop better if taught early on. This could be useful in a Family Literacy setting!
Raising Kids Who Can Talk With Their Doctors
Hi Everyone,
I want to pass on some other resources for helping people learn to talk more effectively with their doctors. These were shared on the IHA Health Literacy Discussion List, and I have picked out the ones that I feel could be useful in an adult education setting. Some of these are designed for adult literacy learners, and others could be used as authentic materials from which to create your own activities.
I would suggest Staying Healthy: An English Learner’s Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living, which is written at a 4th-5th grade level. It has a chapter on seeing the doctor, but each chapter is geared toward communicating with your doctor about the topic, and includes practice dialogs. There is a teacher’s guide that goes with this, so it can be used easily in literacy classes.
Say Ah!'s resources for consumers. There is some very good and simply written information on getting the most out of your healthcare. There are Tip Sheets that you can print out in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Russian.
All the best,
Julie