Health Care

Ways to Enhance Health Literacy Among People

Health Literacy Among People

Prevention is better than cure, a phrase we have heard millions of times but did we ever try to understand why this phrase came into being or what is the rationale behind it? World Health Organization and many other globally accredited organizations have been sharing their views on why prevention is better than cure. They state that if prevention is taken within time, the need for a cure does not arise. Globally, it has been observed that people are most concerned about their lifestyle but neglect to modify it which can eventually help them maintain their health. This negligence creates health issues in the long run as people are not aware of the concept of health literacy.

For instance, have you ever seen an older person understand the word intra-muscular medicine or talk about insulin? 8 out of 10 people do not know what health information is and that makes it more difficult for health care professionals to share the health condition with the patient.  At the end of this discussion, we will be able to understand how we can increase health literacy and help the general public understand the basics of health information.

In this article, we will be discussing some of the most common aspects of how we can increase the rate of health literacy and reach out to enhance lifestyle controlling overall health. In general, prevention and preventive measures have the status of being the foundation for public health only if the general public is aware of the basic concept of health communication. Hence, enhancing the overall healthcare system and educating people about the concept of health literacy are the most significant components of developing awareness of wellness and precautions. If you simply search for masters in health communication online you will be able to see how people are getting educated with the information on the health care system.

Tips And Tricks To Enhance Health Literacy

Following are some of the basic tips and tricks through which complex healthcare information can be shared and demonstrated to the general public:

The message, The Centre Of Focus

At a point where the patient is suffering from a disease, it is necessary to communicate the medical information with a true picture but definitely with a buffer that does not harm the sentiments of the patient or the family member of the patient. In general, the core message has to be crystal clear for the receiver. If the message is not relevant and does not contain the anchor, it may hinder the understanding of the patient and may reflect on the overall health of the patient.

Effective Utilization Of Technology

In the era of globalization, technology has been spread around the globe and made the world a global village. Communicating medical information using the technology has already been introduced but effective utilization is yet to be done. In recent times, the concept of artificial intelligence has been introduced to the world and the health care system is struggling to utilize it effectively but on a very basic level using videos and pictorial representations for communicating health information can help demonstrate the core concept and improve health literacy. The concept of DPIC (drug and poison information center) has already been in place for quite some time but making it approachable is still a challenge.

Language, A Key Barrier

If you are a health care professional and are dealing with the patients directly then it is very important to communicate information in a language that is understandable by the patient and his family. Many times it has been observed that language creates a barrier to understanding the information. Avoid using medical terminologies with the patients as they are not able to understand them. Using easy language will be helpful to give the entire message without changing its context. Because, if the information is not clear, there are great chance that the perception may change and worsen the situation. Key elements that can help to transform medical information into easy knowledge can be the utilization of simple native language in the active voice.

Teaching Methodology:

Health Literacy is highly dependent on the methodology of how the information is being shared and how it is presented. If the teaching and demonstrating methodology are easy and engaging, there are more chances that the information is retained and becomes helpful for the end-user of the information. Helping people with open-ended questions helps to reflect the actual level of information the receiver has. Guiding people with the most relevant and easy access to reproducible information helps to engage them as well. If you are planning to share medical information with the patients or preparing for the awareness session then you must involve technology that is readily available to the end-user instead of using methodology that is new to the consumer.

Conclusion:

Apart from the above-mentioned tips and tricks, several ways can create a significant impact on overall health literacy. Sharing common examples and relating them to medical knowledge helps to recall the entire concept easily. For example, if you share that medicine is the key through which disease can be overcome then it is easier for everyone to understand the role of medicine, similarly presenting proteins as the bricks and the human body as the house will eventually be remembered for a long period that proteins are the building blocks of the human body. There can be various techniques that are easily utilized in order to spread the required detail.

Whatever you do with the information, it is solely dependent on the content, context, and engagement because globally it has been recognized that people are more convinced that the information is relevant and engaging. Similarly, if the information involves two-way communication, it has the potential to be remembered whereas the information shared through one-way dialogue lasts only for days and vanishes due to lack of concentration. In the end, it is more important to communicate than to deliver.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *