Program addresses health care literacy
Guide helps providers communicate better
Recognizing that low health literacy has a dramatic effect on patient outcomes and the cost of care, the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies has launched a program to make sure its members understand their treatment plans.
The Philadelphia-based insurer has partnered with Health Literacy Innovations to develop "Health Literacy & Plain Language Resource Guide," which helps health care providers communicate better with their patients.
The guide is available over the internet free of charge.
"We saw a need to provide information on communication for our own employees as well as for our providers. This guide gives health care professionals the tools they need to understand what health literacy is and how lack of literacy can affect patient adherence to their treatment plan," says Jay Feldstein, DO, corporate chief medical officer for the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies.
At AmeriHealth Mercy, all new employees undergo training in cultural and language awareness.
The health plan has mandatory staff training several times a year on health literacy, members with special needs, and cultural competency.
The insurer has redesigned its literature to use line drawings instead of photographs to allow the reader to view him or herself in pictures, Feldstein says.
One staff person, who received training at the Health Literacy Institute, writes all of the health plan's material for members and gears it to the fourth- to sixth-grade reading level, according to Lucy Ricketts, director of public affairs and cultural and linguistic services for Passport Health Plan. Passport Health Plan, with headquarters in Louisville, KY, is a member of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies.
"We offer vital materials on a CD or DVD and will read the information over the telephone for people who are completely illiterate to make sure they understand," she says.
People who have hearing difficulties or vision problems can have complex health literacy problems, Ricketts points out.
"We provide audiotapes and materials in Braille. One member calls regularly and asks me to translate the member newsletter into 24-point type. We do whatever we can to make sure our members get all the information they need in a format they can understand," Ricketts says.
For instance, many members of Passport Health Plan speak English as a second language.
"When we translate these materials, we make a conscious effort to use plain language and watch the number of syllables we use," says Loretta Estes, cultural and linguistic services coordinator for Passport Health Plan.
Passport Health Plan uses its quarterly member newsletter as an opportunity to increase members' health literacy.
A recent newsletter contained a picture of a typical prescription bottle and a description of each component.
"We illustrated where the member could find the name of the physician, the phone number where they could call if they need a refill, and how many times a day they are to take their medication," Ricketts says.
Plain language and a lot of graphics help tremendously when it comes to educating members, she adds.
"Most people are visual learners and respond well to materials that have good graphics with supplemental text," Ricketts says.
At Passport, case managers work with members over the phone to ensure that they understand their treatment plan. For instance, they make sure the member knows that taking medication "orally" means "by mouth" and go over what the doctor means by "three times a day."
"We take as much time as necessary with our members to explain their treatment plan and ask probing questions. When appropriate, we institute a three-way phone call between the member and the medical staff to clarify the treatment plan and the potential side effects. We do whatever we can to ensure that they follow the treatment plan," Ricketts says.
Recognizing that low health literacy has a dramatic effect on patient outcomes and the cost of care, the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies has launched a program to make sure its members understand their treatment plans.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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