This post offers a curated collection of articles, toolkits, white papers, and/or other resources to help primary care practices enhance health literacy efforts, promoting health equity by empowering patients to better understand health information, make informed decisions, and navigate the health care system. Click on the toggle for any reference to view a brief summary of the document, its source, and an active link for access.
2021-2024
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2024). Health literacy universal precautions toolkit, 3rd edition
Overview: The AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (3rd ed.) provides an abundance of practical tools, resources, and strategies to help primary care practices simplify healthcare, increase patient understanding of health information, and support patients at all levels of health literacy.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2024). Health literacy universal precautions toolkit, 3rd edition. Brach, C., (Ed.). (2024, March). AHRQ health literacy universal precautions toolkit (3rd ed.) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/improve/precautions/toolkit.html
Center for Health Care Strategies. (2024, March). Health literacy fact sheets
Overview: These health literacy fact sheets guide stakeholders, including health care providers, in understanding, assessing, and enhancing health literacy practices. They define health literacy, emphasize its critical role in advancing health equity, and provide strategies for improvement through clear written communication, patient-provider interactions, and organizational practices.
Center for Health Care Strategies. (2024, March). Health literacy fact sheets. https://www.chcs.org/resource/health-literacy-fact-sheets/
Sprogell, A., Casola, A. R., & Cunningham, A. (2021). Health literacy in primary care: Reflections and suggestions for physicians, researchers, and administrators
Abstract: As the healthcare system evolves, it is becoming more complicated for physicians and patients. Patients might have had one doctor in the past but now are likely to regularly see several specialists along with their primary care physician. Patients can access their health records online, which increases transparency and accountability, but adds more information they have to interpret. This is the concept of health literacy—the ability to obtain, process, and act upon information regarding one’s health. This article will characterize health literacy in primary care and provide three areas that primary care physicians and researchers can direct their focus in order to increase health literacy among patients: community engagement, trainee education, and examination of personal bias.
Sprogell, A., Casola, A. R., & Cunningham, A. (2021). Health literacy in primary care: Reflections and suggestions for physicians, researchers, and administrators. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 16(3), 408-411. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276211041283
Prior to 2021
Hersh, L., Salzman, B., & Snyderman, D. (2015). Health literacy in primary care practice
Abstract: Health literacy includes a set of skills needed to make appropriate health decisions and successfully navigate the health care system. These skills include reading, writing, numeracy, communication, and, increasingly, the use of electronic technology. National data indicate that more than one-third of U.S. adults have limited health literacy, which contributes to poor health outcomes and affects patient safety, and health care access and quality. Although there are a number of tools that screen for limited health literacy, they are primarily used for research. Routinely screening patients for health literacy has not been shown to improve outcomes and is not recommended. Instead, multiple professional organizations recommend using universal health literacy precautions to provide understandable and accessible information to all patients, regardless of their literacy or education levels. This includes avoiding medical jargon, breaking down information or instructions into small concrete steps, limiting the focus of a visit to three key points or tasks, and assessing for comprehension. Additionally, printed information should be written at or below a fifth- to sixth-grade reading level. Visual aids, graphs, or pictures can enhance patient understanding, as can more concrete presentation of numerical information.
Hersh, L., Salzman, B., & Snyderman, D. (2015). Health literacy in primary care practice. American Family Physician, 92(2), 118-124. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2015/0715/p118.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2015). An implementation checklist for the National CLAS Standards with a CLAS action worksheet and CLAS testimonials
Overview: Culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) play a crucial role in improving healthcare quality by addressing cultural and communication barriers. In 2015, the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a study to explore how organizations implement the National CLAS Standards. This resource shares the findings of that study, including a checklist of successful CLAS implementation practices observed in participating organizations. It also includes a CLAS action worksheet to guide organization-wide planning and implementation, as well as testimonials from study participants that highlight the benefits and impact of applying the National CLAS Standards.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2015). An implementation checklist for the National CLAS Standards with a CLAS action worksheet and CLAS testimonials. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8nzfwpbd3vddkcc/AnImplementationChecklistfortheNationalCLASStandards.pdf?dl=0
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. (2015). Una lista de verificación de aplicación de los estándares nacionales CLAS con una hoja de trabajo de acción de CLAS y testimonios sobre CLAS
Resumen: Los servicios cultural y lingüísticamente apropiados (CLAS) juegan un papel crucial en la mejora de la calidad de la atención médica al abordar las barreras culturales y de comunicación. En 2015, la Oficina de Salud de las Minorías del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los EE. UU. (HHS) llevó a cabo un estudio para explorar cómo las organizaciones implementan los Estándares Nacionales CLAS. Este recurso comparte los hallazgos de ese estudio, que incluyen una lista de verificación de las prácticas exitosas de implementación de CLAS observadas en las organizaciones participantes. También incluye una hoja de trabajo de acción de CLAS para guiar la planificación e implementación a nivel organizacional, así como testimonios de los participantes del estudio que destacan los beneficios e impactos de aplicar los Estándares Nacionales CLAS.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. (2015). Una lista de verificación de aplicación de los estándares nacionales CLAS con una hoja de trabajo de acción de CLAS y testimonios sobre CLAS. https://www.dropbox.com/s/id3hr0hkdv4h58f/ListaDeVerificacionParaLaImplementacionDeLosEstandaresNacionalesCLAS.pdf?dl=0