Page 85 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

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

0 HeALtH LiteRACY, eHeALtH, AnD CoMMUniCAtion

density of text, or for readability levels of charts or information. This
would seem to be important given the differing abilities of people to
read and comprehend. Or is this an issue that people are just beginning
to realize is important?
Solomon responded that this is an important issue. MiVIA has focused
on technology, privacy, and security of applications. This third generation
needs to start looking at health-literacy aspects.
One participant, noting that several of the speakers touched on train-
ing and helping people understand how to use the technology, asked,
Are there any best practices or standards for how to do that effectively or
well, or is it so early that one is just at the point of doing something and
sharing information?
Gauthier responded that it has been her experience that people do
not expect or want to have to go through a 2-hour training session to
use a website. People expect to be able to sit down and use any website
that is out there. With the newer technologies—for example, the so-called
Ajax Rich Internet Applications—there is an opportunity to build robust
contextual help. Patients may be listing their care team on the form with
no problem, but then they get to the advanced directions and are at a loss
for what to do. It is at this point that they are ready for a training module
embedded in the application that could walk them through the process.
Embedding more contextual training in the applications themselves is
probably the best approach to take.
Seidman agreed, although he pointed out that there is a portion of the
population that is not yet versed in computers and does not use them. The
idea of using promotores or community health workers as educators is a
good one which seems to work well. There are other resources that can
be deployed as well, such as librarians and other ancillary health profes-
sionals. In many cases, however, it is the community health workers who
have been found to be most effective and the best use of resources. In one
case, for example, a janitor’s union engaged unemployed janitors to help
train union members in the use of computers. Union members’ reception
of the training was very positive.
Solomon remarked that, on average, it takes a physician anywhere
from 4 to 12 hours to learn to use an electronic medical record. Outreach
and training for the community using the promotores engages the members
and is a good model. Such training is really health advocacy. During the
session members learn about all kinds of things, including how to talk
with the physician, how health care is important to the member, and the
importance of the member being a partner in the health care experience.
One audience member said that it is important that those designing
PHRs want to listen—to hear from the patients about their needs. Starting
with people’s needs and working with them is crucial. But how does one

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.