Patient Education for Poor Readers

Course overview

Many patients do not understand information that healthcare providers give them. Inadequate health literacy can put patients lives at risk, and it is a major driver of healthcare costs due to preventable complications. Health literacy is not limited to the ability to read letters and numbers. It requires integration of many skills, including reading, listening, analytical and decision-making abilities, and the proficiency to apply these skills to health situations. This course provides information to help nurses present information in a manner that helps their patients understand vital healthcare instructions. The goal of this course is to provide nurses in acute care with information necessary to assess their patients reading abilities and devise appropriate written teaching materials.