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\nThe white paper, Ten Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations [433 KB, 27 pages], describes what health care organizations can do to \u201cmake it easier for people to navigate, understand, and use information and services.\u201d Participants in the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academies) Roundtable on Health Literacy wrote the paper to inspire health care organizations to address health literacy issues.
\nWatch 5 Things to Know About Health Literacy, a short video from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for proven strategies to make health information and services easier to find, understand, and use in your organization.
\nIf you or your organization provides direct patient care, please refer to the original white paper as well as the following:
\nCDC\u2019s Office of Communications has interpreted the attributes and offers a modified version to apply to organizations doing public health work. Each of the following attributes briefly describes strategies that organizations can adopt and augment.
\nHas leadership that makes health literacy integral to its mission, structure, and operations
The organization makes advancing health literacy a high priority and part of the organizational values, culture, and day-to-day operations. Committed, continuous, knowledgeable leadership is key to effectively implement and sustain health literacy improvement activities.
Integrates health literacy into strategic and operational planning, quality improvement, goals, and measures
The organization makes sure that health literacy is explicitly integrated into all relevant activities and that health literacy informs strategic and operational planning, execution, and evaluation. The organization assesses success with groups at higher risk of poor health outcomes as part of its overall organizational performance measures.
Prepares the workforce to address health literacy issues and monitors progress
The organization recognizes and meets staff health literacy training needs. The training contributes to a culture in which everyone values and promotes effective communication. The organization measures the training\u2019s impact on advancing health literacy and other goals.
Provides easy access to information and services and uses clear signage or instructions to help people find their way in facilities and online
The organization makes it easy for people to find information on websites and via communication channels and to find where they\u2019re going in facilities, such as federal, state, and county public health and social service agencies. Help finding the way in facilities can mean providing clear signs, directions, forms, and helpful staff who provide information in plain language.
Best practices in web design and social media help the organization make its electronic materials, messages, and systems, such as customer portals or online databases, easy for people to find, understand, and use.
\nIf the organization provides telephone-based information or services, such as a toll-free contact center or publication fulfillment center, staff use plain language when talking with the public.
\nAddresses health literacy in high-risk situations, such as emergency preparedness, crisis and emergency response, and clinical emergencies or transitions
The organization puts processes in place to make sure that people receive clear and useful communication when they\u2019re most vulnerable or under emotional or physical stress. Plans for emergencies, crises, and stressful transitions anticipate the audience\u2019s health literacy issues and the information and services people will need to respond to high-risk situations.
Communicates clearly available health services and costs
The organization uses clear communication techniques to explain a person\u2019s choices among health services and, if relevant, the costs. If a person must complete forms to receive information or services, the forms are in plain language with design techniques that make the forms easy to understand and complete.
Health literate organizations communicate information that is easy for people to find, understand, and use
\nIncludes members of groups served in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information and services
The organization invites members of the groups it serves to be part of the processes that result in health information and services. It pays special attention to including people with limited literacy and numeracy skills when planning programs and preparing materials.
Meets the needs of audiences with a range of health literacy skills while avoiding stigmatization
The organization makes information clear and culturally and linguistically appropriate for all audiences. Staff avoid demeaning, criticizing, or calling negative attention to people with limited literacy and numeracy skills. The organization tests communication materials with intended audiences to verify comprehension and information usefulness. It selects formats and communication channels with the greatest reach for the intended audience.
Uses health literacy strategies in oral communication
The organization uses clear communication techniques in spoken communication, such as conversations, interviews, oral presentations, and podcasts and videos. It reinforces spoken information and communication with other formats that help people remember the information and learn how to find more information when they need it. The organization encourages audience feedback in oral communications to verify comprehension and information usefulness.
Designs and distributes print, audiovisual, and social media content that is easy to understand and use to make informed health decisions
The organization asks the intended users of the information to contribute to all steps of the content development process. The staff uses multiple channels to distribute the information so that people can use their preferred channels and hear or see the information multiple times to help with learning and recall. The materials have a clear message and provide actions the audience can take to protect and promote their health. The materials use words, numbers, and concepts familiar to the intended audience.
Public health organizations and their partners, as well as clinical care groups, may find the following resources to be helpful. There\u2019s still a need to help organizations address health literacy issues for the people they serve.
\n \nSee our Find Training page for training opportunities in health literacy, plain language, and culture and communication
\nDevelop materials that are easy to understand and act on
\nSee Develop Materials for additional guidance and resources for preparing materials to address health literacy.
\nMeet the needs of audiences with a range of health literacy skills
\nProvide easy access to health information and services
\nSee the resources below for information about accessible and usable health information, including websites.
\nSee the resources below for information on how to improve the readability of consent forms and other print materials for participants in health care research.
\nSee Evaluate Skills & Programs for assessment tools to identify health literacy issues in your organization.
\nCommunicate clearly during crises and emergencies
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