Page 36 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

oveRvieW oF iSSUeS

the patient has. Physicians will be familiar with the programs and so will
be able to engage in a dialogue with each patient about his or her specific
conditions, using the e-learning programs as a basis for discussion.
In one AHCCCS video on diabetes, the main character is a white adult
male talking about diabetes while standing next to his vehicle in a parking
lot. The video presentation was made by Knowledge Builders, the name
that members of the AHCCCS staff gave themselves. The next charac-
ter featured in a video with the same content might be an adult female
Hispanic who is Spanish-speaking or perhaps an adult male Spanish-
speaking individual or a Native American–speaking individual. In the
AHCCCS approach, Rodgers stated, the same content is used for every-
one, but the content is delivered by different characters depending on the
audience. The purpose is to see if this engages the various beneficiary
populations. Rapid production of these materials allows change in the
material. AHCCCS evaluates its e-learning programs to determine exactly
who is learning what and where most of the problems are. Material is then
edited to address identified problems.
Rodgers concluded by predicting that AHCCCS eHealth, properly
configured, will help address one of the major obstacles to achieving
better outcomes, that is, eHealth literacy.

DISCuSSION
George isham, M.D., M.S.
HealthPartners
Moderator

One questioner asked Rodgers to provide more detail about the infra-
structure that AHCCCS is building. Rodgers replied that the first effort is
being directed at EHRs so that providers will be able to exchange health
information. This is not an EHR in the fullest sense, he said, but it will
include the problem list, information regarding medications, lab results,
x-ray views, and clinical notes. Further down the road the idea is to be able
to embed files and other information into the EHR. The e-learning pro-
gramming for patient-focused education will be available through the Web,
as will be provider-focused education, the clinical support tools, and the
patient decision-support tools. These will be configured with the EHR.
Another audience member asked whether AHCCCS is educating con-
sumers about the system as it is being developed. Are they learning what
eHealth means, what an electronic medical system can do, and how to use
the specific hardware (e.g., the tablet discussed earlier)? Rodgers replied
that the system is not currently in the market and available. What does
exist is a prototype that is being tested. Once this is validated and addi-

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