Reason #3 Health
literacy is used most often at home Most health/medical information
is digested, understood and applied (or not) at home in the context of family
and everyday real life circumstances. While health literacy typically is discussed
in the context of healthcare encounters and documents, most health-related
decisions are made at home. Most medications and treatments are administered at
home. Preventive actions and health promoting practices happen at home. Home visitors’ unique access to
families at home and trusting relationships built through frequent encounters
(1 to 4 per month for 1-2 hours) over an extended period (6 to 36 months) position
visitors to observe and influence the interaction of multiple factors that
determine parents ability to manage personal and child health and healthcare –
their functional health literacy. These factors are not readily visible in
healthcare settings and are difficult to address in brief, often stressful
episodic encounters. Way # 5 Lead a reflective conversation to link
info to experience Healthcare professionals
appropriately focus on reducing barriers to effective use of health/medical
information and services by improving information and provider-patient
communication. Home visitors’ complement and leverage these systems-level efforts
by directly assisting parents to personalize the information and use it to
maintain or improve personal and family health. Mary was given information
about maternal depression at her son Ralph’s well baby checkup. She read it and
understood the words, but did not connect the information to herself. A few
days later, when Mary’s home visitor asked her about Ralph’s checkup, Mary
showed her the depression info. The visitor had previously noted depressive
symptoms in Mary and recognized a teachable moment. She engaged Mary in a
reflective conversation around the information. She asked, “Have you
experienced any of these signs of depression?” “Why do you think those feelings
started when they did?” “How does the baby respond to you when you’re feeling
so sad?” “What have you tried to feel better?” Mary came to recognize her own depression
and its impact on her child. She decided to take a daily walk with the
baby to relieve stress, a “baby step” toward improving her health and
supporting baby Ralph’s healthy development. Mary’s health literacy increased when,
with the assistance of the home visitor, she was able to personalize the
information, to see what it meant for her in her situation. Through interaction
and reflection with the visitor, Mary linked the new information about
depression to her own experience and her child’s behaviors, so the info became
knowledge. She formulated a positive response, a health action that with the
visitor’s ongoing support became a health-promoting practice. In the process, Mary
gained knowledge and built her health literacy and parenting skills
(interaction and reflection). She discovered herself as a problem solver and a
health manager. She developed a deeper understanding of the concept of self-care
as a way to enhance her child’s health. Mary’s home visitor gave no
additional information; she gave no advice, offered no solutions. Rather, she
asked a few reflective questions, stood by while Mary figured out for herself
what she should do, and then supported her in doing it. The home visitor empowered
Mary to use information and services to enhance health. That’s promoting
functional health literacy. A true teacher is one who makes you
aware of what you already have and encourages you to use it. A true teacher
will not do it for you. Instead they sit with you as you figure out how to do
it for yourself.” Iyanla
Vanzant, Until Today |
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CategoriesHealth LiteracyMaternal Child Health Test |
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