Health literacy is a major issue affecting almost 90% of adults. The month of October is dedicated to recognizing the importance of clear communication surrounding information and services that people need to make informed decisions about their health. This awareness aims to empower individuals to understand health information better and take control of their healthcare decisions.
Effective communication is crucial for informing and educating the public about healthcare. By implementing health literacy principles, we can promote health equity and strive to attain the best possible health outcomes for everyone. The Coverage to Care (C2C) program offers a range of resources tailored to individuals’ specific healthcare needs, helping them comprehend their health coverage and access primary care and preventive services. We encourage you to make use of the following resources to assist your patients this month and beyond.
There are various free resources available to assist healthcare providers and patients. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides information to encourage the implementation of organizational policies and procedures that help to incorporate patients and their families while establishing cooperative relationships with other healthcare providers.
Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety
- This tool focuses on strategies for promoting patient and family engagement in hospital safety and quality of care.
Guide to Improving Patient Safety in Primary Care Settings by Engaging Patients and Families
- The guide focuses on developing approaches to improve patient safety in primary care settings by engaging patients and families.
Improving Your Office Testing Process: Patient Engagement Survey
- The survey can help assess patients’ understanding of their tests and their knowledge about what they should do after receiving test results.
Toolkit for Engaging Patients to Improve Diagnostic Safety
- An important tool designed to promote enhanced communication and information sharing within the patient-provider encounter to help patients, families, and health professionals work together as partners to improve diagnostic safety.
Toolkit to Educate and Engage Residents and Family Members
- This is one of four toolkits in the Nursing Home Antimicrobial Stewardship Guide. It helps a nursing home encourage an open and respectful dialogue between nurses and prescribing clinicians and residents and their family members and helps residents and family members participate in their care.
