Page 86 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

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

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make that grow? Are there ways to use these approaches in adult educa-
tion or in K-12 education to involve the next generation in skill building
around use of these technological tools and to learn about the kinds of
chronic conditions one might have, the immunizations one needs, and
the medicines one takes? Another alternative might be to work with large
employers and labor to engage populations in understanding information
about their health and how to act on such information.
Solomon responded that one of the successful things MiVIA did was
to create a curriculum called the Student Health Ambassadorship Pro-
gram. MiVIA representatives visited the local high school and, through the
high school principal, recruited three ESL (English as a Second Language)
students. For 3 months, these students met once a week for about 2 hours
to learn about information technology, health advocacy and bilingual
assistance. They worked with the outreach workers as well. One of these
students was a shy young lady about 16 years old who would not look at
anyone directly. That young lady is now a sophomore in college, focus-
ing on health care. She has created her own curriculum and is working
with PTAs (parent-teacher associations), the councils, and with teachers
at various schools. Patient navigators or student health ambassadors are
an important tool.
Seidman said that working with promotores and community health
workers to train people in the use of the Internet also creates other social
and employment opportunities. He described his experience as a vol-
unteer and president of the board of directors of a transitional house
for homeless women in recovery from substance abuse in the mid- and
late 1990s. At that time computers and the Internet were just beginning
to emerge as being of major importance to individuals, and his group
realized that women wanted to develop their skills with the computer.
The board bought a computer for the house, and it became an important
benefit for the women living there as they created their independent lives.
Creating these kinds of opportunities is something that should be kept
in mind.
Isham concluded the discussion by stating that the presentations and
conversations had been excellent in terms of helping the audience realize
that there is an interesting interface between health literacy and technol-
ogy that needs to be explored. It is not clear, however, that most of those
engaged in developing these technological tools are currently aware of or
exploring that interface.

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