Health Literacy Awareness and Primary Care

• Overall aims
• Who should attend
• Why should they attend
• Objectives
• Content
• Agenda
• What previous participants have said about this course

Overall aims

To illustrate how greater awareness of health literacy can result in workload reduction and effective practice in primary care.

To explore the impact of health literacy on patients who use primary care services and to reflect on what changes in practice and service design may be require.

Who should attend

This free training is aimed at CCG Board Members, GPs, Practice Nurses, Practice Managers, Practice Reception staff, CCG staff and those staff working in Commissioning Support Units with a particular role in supporting CCG Commissioning and Quality outcomes.

Participants will be issued with certificates which they will be able to use for Appraisal, Revalidation and CPD purposes.

Why should they attend?

According to recent research, carried out by a team which included several GPs, 43% of adults, aged 19 to 65, routinely do not understand health information – a figure that rises to 61% if an element of numeracy is involved. This means that they, cannot follow and adhere to medication instructions, do not know when an appointment has been made for them, do not understand a diagnosis, cannot use a 24 hour clock,  cannot evaluate the risk and benefits of procedures and will not understand the meaning of words with multiple meanings such as regularly and positive. They are usually the same adults who have the poorest health outcomes in terms of premature mortality and multiple co-morbidities. They are frequently the biggest users of all health services.

Many of the practitioners who work with people with lower levels of health literacy are unaware of the impacts that this has on them and consequently feel frustrated and disappointed when their patients do not follow their advice. They often fail to recognise the signs that people do not understand what they have been told because they have not been trained to recognise them. This Health Literacy Awareness for Primary Care Practitioners training tackles this by defining what health literacy is, examining the impacts of lower levels of Health Literacy and implications for everyday practice, looking at how practice might have to change to meet the needs of this group and considering what initial steps may need to be taken and what help is available to assist in this.

These issues are all outlined in the 2014 Royal College of General Practitioners report on health Literacy which acknowledges its importance to all aspects of Primary Care.

Objectives

• Increased understanding of what Health Literacy and how it might impact on everyday practice;
• Increased awareness of Health Literacy issues and their impact on individuals’ everyday lives and the services that the support them; and
• To consider how to support patients with Health Literacy needs within their own services.

Content

This interactive and reflective workshop will define Health Literacy, explore where it sits in the current policy context, reflect on its impacts on current practice and services and explore what changes can be made at both at a practice and a wider service level. It will also explain what resources already exist to support such changes.

Agenda

9.30–10am         Arrival and Refreshments

10am–10.10am   Welcome, introductions and setting the scene

• Welcome and Introductions;
• Outline programme for the day;

10.10–10.45am  Impacts of Health Literacy

• How big is the problem?
• What does it feel like?
• Impacts on people
• Impacts on services

10.45–11am       The Policy Context

• Tackling health inequalities
• Patient activation
• Shared decision making
• Self care

11–11.15am       Discussion

• Identify examples where health literacy impacted on your everyday practice

11.15-11.30am   Break

11.30am–12.10pm       What can we do about it?

• Group Discussion
• Feedback

12.10–12.40pm   What do you think makes a Health Literate Service?

• Group Discussion
• Feedback

12.40–12.50pm   What resources are available?

12.50–12.55pm   What will you do now?

12.55–1pm         Close

What previous participants have said about this course

 “A huge impact - better understanding of clients lifestyle choices.” (Support Worker – Women’s Refuge)

 “A wake up call - more sympathetic and understanding of patient difficulties.” (Cancer Information Lead Nurse)

 “Provided me with the rationale backed up by evidence to influence others.” (Freelance Health Consultant)