Caraway’s Post

🔍 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐞? 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞! 🔍 This recent Fortune article by Alena Botros sheds light on a troubling reality: trust in healthcare is alarmingly low, further strained by widespread health literacy gaps. As an 11-year cancer survivor, I've navigated the confusing corridors of healthcare systems, and I believe those of us who have walked this path have a role in guiding others. We can transform our hard-earned knowledge and experiences into valuable resources to help others feel less isolated and more informed. 💡𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 1. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲𝐬: By opening up about our healthcare experiences, we demystify the process for others. 2. 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲: Simplifying medical information can empower more people to make better health decisions. 3. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Encouraging healthcare providers to speak plainly enhances understanding and trust. Community involvement is key to transforming healthcare into a system that serves and supports everyone effectively. Let's champion a movement where trust is rebuilt one conversation at a time. What are your thoughts on increasing trust in healthcare? Join the discussion below! #HealthcareTrust #HealthLiteracy #PatientAdvocacy #CommunityHealth

90 million Americans are considered to have low health literacy. Only 12% of the nation’s adults have high health literacy. With low health literacy, rising healthcare costs, and persistent SDOH factors, it’s important for us to pause and consider whether the current healthcare system is working for people first or business first. Is healthcare becoming too complex for the average American? The numbers from these experts indicate yes. Not only are millions of Americans unable to find and understand information to benefit their health, but millions also continue to be affected by social factors such as their residence or income level. As a result, even Americans who are able to access healthcare find themselves unable to access quality care or apply the care to their health and wellbeing. Without ensuring that our current healthcare system is supporting the patients it is meant to serve, any care provided is unsustainable over the long term or does not reach patients in need. Implementing health literacy measures and changing the system are important steps to take. #healthcare #HealthLiteracy #HealthcareSystem

Patient literacy stands as a linchpin in the realm of healthcare, profoundly shaping the quality of interactions and treatment outcomes. This article explores actionable pathways for healthcare providers to amplify patients' literacy levels, fostering deeper comprehension and empowerment in managing their health. By championing accessible communication channels and equipping patients with vital knowledge, we not only bridge informational gaps but also cultivate a culture of informed decision-making and active participation in healthcare decisions. #PatientLiteracy #HealthcareEmpowerment #CommunicationStrategies

Did you know that nearly half of American adults struggle with health literacy? This staggering statistic highlights a critical issue in healthcare, especially regarding palliative care. In honor of Health Literacy Month, let's discuss the importance of health literacy in palliative care. Understanding Palliative Care Palliative care is a specialized medical approach that focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses. It involves a dedicated team of professionals who work together to: - Understand patients' values and goals - Make informed decisions - Create personalized care plans The Health Literacy Challenge Health literacy is crucial in palliative care settings, where patients must comprehend complex information about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. Unfortunately, many patients struggle with this, leading to potential misunderstandings and suboptimal care. Strategies for Improvement 1. Simplify Communication: Use plain language, avoid medical jargon, and limit information to key points. 2. Utilize Visual Aids: Incorporate pictograms and large-print materials to enhance understanding. 3. Implement Teach-Back: Ask patients to explain instructions in their own words to ensure comprehension. 4. Standardize Content: Develop patient education materials written at a fifth-grade reading level. 5. Educate Providers: Train healthcare professionals in effective communication techniques for patients with limited health literacy. Continuous Process Health literacy efforts should begin at admission and continue throughout a patient's care journey. We can significantly improve palliative care outcomes by prioritizing clear communication and understanding. How are you addressing health literacy in your practice or institution? Share your experiences and strategies below. #HealthLiteracyMonth #PalliativeCare #PatientCare

Let’s end this systemic mistrust and health literacy shortfalls by embedding Community Health Workers into the care team/plan.

Glad to see this information being shared broadly within the public/private sector. I’m not shocked at all (about the low #healthliteracy) and suspect the numbers are even higher than stated here (my search did not reveal a large-scale national survey within the last decade; if you know of one, please comment). In my previous experience with CVS Health and Oak Street Health, I was privileged to see specific interventions aimed at increasing health literacy integrated into the care models. Based on what’s been surfacing in the media (social and otherwise), there’s another confounding factor: the perception of and utilization by health care providers and systems of #AI. I’ve seen #healthcareproviders express concern that they’ll be “replaced”, even as that technology improves health care delivery. Of even greater concern (at least to me), is the #bias introduced into augmented and #artificialintelligence - including #algorithms used to provide #clinicaldecisionsupport. Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s book, Unmasking AI, exposes some of the fundamental examples of how bias is rampant - not just in systems used to identify faces in a crowd, but also those designed to calculate #risk and support #medicaldecisionmaking. See also, Eric Topol, MD’s “Deep Medicine”. Hopefully, the increasing awareness of social determinants of health (#sdoh) - including health literacy - and the need for vigilance in guarding against bias will continue to advance the care provided to our communities.

As Lisa K. Fitzpatrick MD, MPH, MPA (Dr. Lisa) deftly illustrated in the story I wrote about Grapevine Health, the health literacy gap is as much about trust as it is access to resources. Trust looks different for different communities, which is where her team is able to bridge the gap. 🤝 If you haven't read the story yet, I'll post in the comments. Be sure to follow Grapevine to stay engaged and educated on how they're improving health literacy through trustworthy engagement. 💡 #healthtequity #DEI #healthliteracy #digitalhealth #healthequity #CVS https://lnkd.in/gZMDguFD

It’s no secret that the scientific/medical/public health community is less than superb at making simple, trust-inspiring messages. This may be a provocative idea, but what if the root of the problem isn’t inherently bad scientific/medical communication? 20 years ago, the US healthcare system was just as complicated as it is today, but health literacy wasn’t at crisis levels. What’s different is medical care itself. The advances in medical technology have paralleled advances in information and computer technology. What did those look like 20 years ago? 1. DSL was the best way to connect your home to the internet. 2. A company called Alltel Wireless ran a (hilarious) Super Bowl ad mocking smartphones for doing more than making calls. 3. The best flat screen TVs still took up a square yard/meter of space. The scientific community was probably very capable of communicating the “flip phone” version of medical technologies. But the ability to communicate complex technology has apparently not kept pace with technology advancements. I observed this in my own work as a research consultant. The type of work we were doing in the mid-2000s was child’s-play compared to what is being produced now. Over the years, I saw my colleagues (and even myself) increasingly struggle to communicate our work to clients and clients struggle to understand it. Communicating technical information is hard and most experts are not well-trained to do so. This article highlights the perils to patients and society by continuing to believe that the health and medical communications that have worked in the past will continue to be effective today. We can do better. #science #communication #effectivecommunication #sciencecommunication

Check out my latest article for Pharmacy Times about how pharmacists can improve health literacy https://lnkd.in/eigySJMU

A significant 80% of what drives health outcomes is unrelated to medical care, highlighting the critical role of public health. Factors such as environment, economy, education, and employment profoundly influence individual health, emphasizing that health is deeply intertwined with various social determinants. The complexity of the medical system, socioeconomic disparities, and the increasing reliance on social media for health information further complicate the landscape, exacerbating public mistrust. Addressing these multifaceted issues requires a comprehensive approach to public health that extends beyond traditional medical interventions. #publichealth #HealthEquity #Trust #Misinformation #CHW