the basics - World Health Communication Associates

epidemic outbreak tracking (providing decision-makers with timely, location-relatedinformation), patient diagnostic and treatment support, health care provider trainingand communications support, and remote patient data collection (Ratzan & Gilhooly2010).On the provider side, computerised profiles of individual patients or targetpopulations can be used to tailor existing materials to fit specific situations. This canbe done using computer-based algorithms that take various patient characteristicsinto account. These characteristics might include language, age, gender, ethnicity,reading ability, health literacy level, and the needs and goals of the patient at thattime (Revere & Dunbar 2001).4.1.3 Navigating health systemsMany health systems, particularly at institutional and community level, have triedto make their services more easily navigable by using case managers and navigatorsto help patients. Navigators can be community health workers, lay or professional,paid or volunteers, but their role is to help patients through the health or social caresystem. They can be trained to provide health education, interpret health informationand assist in obtaining access to services.Navigators have been shown to help alleviate financial, communication andmedical system barriers. They help patients to overcome fear and emotional barriersby providing support. The navigator can act as the patient’s advocate in the intervalbetween screening and further diagnosis or treatment, assisting with practical issuessuch as paperwork for financial support, childcare or transportation problems. Theymay also translate medical jargon into understandable language, provide educationabout the disease and its treatment, help the patient to communicate with theirdoctor and be available to listen to fears and concerns. Such services have been foundto improve health outcomes, increase adherence to medical treatment, reduce missedappointments and lower health system costs (Freeman et al. 1995).4.1.4 Training of educators and providersProviders should be trained to communicate more effectively to help them care forpatients with limited health literacy. Training should focus on improving cliniciancommunication skills and understanding of cultural sensitivities (Frankel & Stein2001). Furthermore, the need for improved clinician skills in fostering mutuallearning, partnership-building, collaborative goal-setting and behaviour change for38SECTION 4: WHAT CAN WE DO TO STRENGTHEN HEALTH LITERACY?