Page 101 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

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

HeALtH LiteRACY, eHeALtH, AnD CoMMUniCAtion

tant. Another issue in standardization is that people’s expectations and
desires about how things look change over time. If there is not room for
modification, people may not pay attention to a site or to the available
information there.
Another participant noted that many of the presenters talked about
the importance of obtaining user feedback and observing users, which is
very important in the development of these health information technol-
ogy (IT) systems.
Kukafka commented that while there may be a need for standards
in terms of exchange between systems, there has been little discussion
about tailoring or personalizing content, which is what the data and
research indicate people find most salient. It appears that people today
want something targeted specifically for them at the time they need it. If
one can assess a person’s literacy level, one can provide that person with
exactly what he or she needs. One is spared the issues associated with
population-based approaches to communication, issues such as whether
one should present all information at a 6th-grade level. What happens
when the information is at a 6th-grade level but the person accessing it
is at the 12th-grade level? Does that put them off? In terms of improving
health, providing individuals with tailored messages may well be a suc-
cessful approach.
Tailoring and personalizing content are critical, Seidman agreed, not
only because of issues such as health literacy, but also because content
needs to be provided at the action level. For example, in attempting to get
someone to quit smoking, providing information to that person if he or
she is in the pre-contemplation stage will not be as effective.
Another issue, one participant said, is whether measurements should
focus on process or outcome. That is, should one measure what needs
to be learned concerning an individual’s interaction with information
technology, or should one measure whether the interaction between an
individual and the technology resulted in that person doing what he or
she should—for example, taking the medication appropriately? What
does it take to get the proper reaction or behavior?
It was pointed out that many people using the Internet or other IT
tools are not looking for information in order to take action. Instead they
are trying to understand something they have just been told.
One participant said that in the broader eHealth world it does not
appear that the people designing health information technology (HIT)
systems have an understanding of the issues of health literacy or their
importance. Yet there have been several presentations about development
of systems that did focus on the health literacy needs of their users. Is
there any guidance that the presenters can give about how to bring these
issues to the broader eHealth world?

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