Coming to Consensus on Health Literacy Measurement: An Online Discussion and Consensus-Gauging Process
Published in "Nursing Outlook" Volume 59, Issue 2, co-authored by Andrew Pleasant and Julie McKinney
April 2011
Health literacy allows the public and personnel working in all health-related contexts to find, understand, evaluate, communicate, and use information. As an emerging field of inquiry, health literacy requires measurement tools to study interventions and identify best practices. This article co-authored by CRI Health Literacy and Research Director Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D., describes a process of engaging health literacy professionals in an online discussion about health literacy evaluation and measurement. A consensus-building component was also used to gauge what kinds of measurement tools are needed within the field.
Health Literacy
Published in the “Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication” authored by Andrew Pleasant
July 2010
Health literacy – that which allows the public and personnel working in all health-related contexts to find, understand, evaluate, communicate, and use information – has always existed, but practitioners have only recently started to research and practice health literacy in both clinical and public health contexts. CRI Health Literacy and Research Director Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D. authored this chapter about the study and practice of health literacy.
- Read the Encyclopedia Summary
- Read the Article (a free membership to www.amazon.com is required to view the chapter). Click on the "Look Inside" link and perform a search for Andrew Pleasant within the Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication. The chapter Health Literacy is located on pages 353-360.
Health Literacy as a Tool to Improve the Public Understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease
This article highlights the importance of health literacy for older adults who are often entrenched in the medical care system the most, yet comprehend medical information the least. The goal of the article is to familiarize readers with the concept of health literacy, demonstrate how health literacy can serve as a tool to improve the public's understanding of Alzheimer's disease (the seventh leading cause of death in the United States), and suggest generally applicable strategies for clinicians working with older adults in the United States. Despite all the barriers that patients and their clinicians face in regard to Alzheimer's disease in particular, it is essential to increase the health literacy skills of older adults and their caregivers in order to help them make informed health decisions. Health literacy issues offer clear evidence that the health system must accommodate change.
Health Literacy as a Tool to Improve the Public Understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease. Annals of Long-Term Care. 18(1), 34-40. Kobylarz, F.A., Pomidor, A., Pleasant, A. (January 2010)
Presentation by CRI Health Literacy and Research Director Andrew Pleasant Published in Institute of Medicine Workshop Summary
December 2009 – Washington, D.C.
A presentation by Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D., Canyon Ranch Institute health literacy and research director, was published in Measures of Health Literacy: Workshop Summary, a compendium of presentations from a February 2009 workshop at the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy. Andrew's presentation, "Health Literacy Measurement: A Brief Review and Proposal," explored existing screeners of health literacy, suggested an overall approach, and proposed eight methodological principles to serve as the basis for the development of a comprehensive measure of health literacy.
Calgary Charter on Health Literacy
The Calgary Charter on Health Literacy is a product of an international collaboration between multiple authors that is endorsed by a growing number of individuals and organizations. The Charter proposes a definition and understanding of health literacy and a set of core principles to support the development of curricula and evaluation tools that improve health literacy for diverse audiences and purposes. It specifically avoids labeling any groups and assumes that health literacy touches individuals and health systems, and while expressed differently in different contexts, is always based on the same underlying skills and abilities.
Calgary Charter on Health Literacy. Authors in alphabetical order, Coleman, C., Kurtz-Rossi, S., McKinney, J., Pleasant, A., Rootman, I., Shohet, L. (October 2009)
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Informational Behaviors of College Students in Regard to the Human Papillomavirus
This article reports on a survey of students at a large, public university in the Northeast United States that investigated their knowledge of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and how it is transmitted, the connection to cervical cancer risk, any stigma attached to HPV, their own sexual behaviors, HPV vaccination status, and sources of information about HPV. The study highlighted several areas to target in efforts to improve health literacy, reduce inequities in health, and improve overall health status.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Informational Behaviors of College Students in Regard to the Human Papillomavirus. Journal of American College Health. 58(2), 141-149. Sandfort, J., Pleasant, A. (September/October 2009)
What We Know About...Health Literacy
Canyon Ranch Institute Health Literacy and Research Director Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D., was featured in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication, "What We Know About" that focuses on health literacy. Andrew was quoted on the current state of health literacy in the U.S. population and provided consultation on the document's overall content.
What We Know About...Health Literacy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (July 2009)
A Second Look at the Health Literacy of American Adults & the National Assessment of Adult Literacy
In the United States, the field of health literacy has been steadily emerging since the early 1990s from two original streams of research and practice. On the one hand, health care professionals began investigating literacy effects on health and the provision of health care. On the other hand, adult basic education and literacy professionals began incorporating health into curricula and community empowerment efforts. A third approach has more recently emerged that incorporates a public health approach as a means to bridge the gap and create new opportunities to advance health literacy. However, many people and organizations in those two original streams remain somewhat isolated from each other. The field of health literacy has come a long way in a short time, but advances are still needed to reach a complete understanding and use of health literacy. For example, the field needs to advance from treating health literacy as an individual issue of fundamentals, at times referred to as basic literacy, which consists of reading, writing, speaking, and numeracy skills in a health context and move toward treating health literacy as an important, yet complex, social determinant of health.
A second look at the health literacy of American Adults & the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Focus on Basics. 9(B) 46-53. Pleasant, A. (September 2008)
A Tale of Two Health Literacies: Public Health and Clinical Approaches to Health Literacy
Public health concerns underlie a considerable portion of the global burden of disease, increasing the utility and need for promoting and assessing the knowledge about public health issues. A public health literacy knowledge scale was developed and tested in China, Mexico, Ghana, and India. A somewhat unexpected finding, which was that experts 'scored' less on the scale than the general public, led to consideration of differences between clinical and public health approaches to health literacy and their implications. These differences in perspective, for instance consideration of single case effects versus impacts at the societal level, pose significant challenges to developing and assessing health literacy. We suggest that a comprehensive approach to health literacy will include both clinical and public health approaches.
A tale of two health literacies: public health and clinical approaches to health literacy. Health Promotion International, 23: 152 – 159. Pleasant, A., Kuruvilla S. (June 2008)
The Health Literacy of America's Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics conducted an analysis of adult health literacy as part of their 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), investigating the variations in how Americans access and understand health information and linking those variations to demographics. Briefly, the report found strong links between the levels of health literacy and race/ethnicity, first language spoken (English vs. other languages), level of education, age (65 and older vs. under 65), income, level and type of insurance coverage (private vs. Medicare/Medicaid or none), and main source of health information (written sources vs. broadcast media).
Kutner M, Greenberg E, Jin Y, and Paulsen C. (2006). The Health Literacy of America's Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES 2006–483). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
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