Professional Experience Placement

This article by Johnson (2016) is a ‘call to action’ to implement proven effective evidence-based strategies that can decrease health literacy demands on health consumers and improve health outcomes and the provision of safe person centred-care.

Johnson (2016) provides a background about the levels of functional literacy in Australia (ABS 2008) that indicates 59% of the population (15-74 years of age) do not achieve adequate health literacy skill level to meet the demands of everyday life. The author uses the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality on Health Care (2014) statement on health literacy to demonstrate the need for improving health literacy of consumers, especially as decreased levels of health literacy are associated with reduced health outcomes.

Johnson indicates there is an underutilisation of communication skills to ensure patients, clients or consumers of health comprehend health information. Johnson seeks that health professionals, especially nurses, because they are frontline adapt their practices to include improving health literacy of their patients.

Johnson (2016) discusses individual health literacy improvements can be achieved by effective interpersonal communication and provision of health materials in the written and visual format. She provides useful tips about how to standardise interpersonal; interventions so that health literacy can be more achievable within health care.  These suggestions include using plain language; adding video to verbal information; presenting information so that the higher number is better; be interactive and avoid long monologues; be mindful of language complexity and speak in short sentences with fewer than 15 words, fewer than 3 syllables and decrease medical jargon.

She provides useful information about health materials in written and visual formats, but I do find it interesting that she omits the value of digital formats completely.  Most of the information and suggestions could be easily transferred into electronic forms.

Johnson also suggests taking a universal precautions approach whereby clinicians take specific action to minimise risk for everyone when it is unclear which consumers may be affected.

Lastly Johnson (2016) reiterates the Institute of Medicine in the United States of America 10 attributes of a health literate organisation. The purpose of these attributes enables organisations to assess their organisational performance against each attribute. Johnson (2016) concludes that health literacy levels need to be improved and health professionals, especially nurses are well-placed to use evidence-based strategies for individuals and the organisational context.

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