Health Literacy and Cultural Competence

This structured search will assist the user in formulating a detailed search within the MEDLINE/Pubmed database. The website also contains a list of important resources concerning health literacy.

The CAHPS Health Literacy Item Sets ask about providers' efforts to foster and improve the health literacy of patients.

This series of resources is geared for policymakers.

Resources on cultural competency and removing language and cultural barriers to health care for limited English-speaking populations.

This set of links provides information on local organizations and local government activities in the area of health literacy.

Map provides health literacy data for neighborhoods throughout the U.S. based on the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) data.

Provides an overview of health literacy concepts and techniques for improving health literacy. Designed for government employees, grantees and contractors, and community partners working in healthcare and public health fields. The tools can be applied to healthcare delivery, policy, administration, communication, and education activities aimed at the public.

This toolkit is designed to assist primary care practices by providing a method to assess their services for health literacy considerations, raise awareness of the entire staff, and work on specific problem areas.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has pulled together key tools, research and reports, and resources for public health and health communication professionals.

Information and tools to improve health literacy and public health.

The Health Literate Care Model is a tool that combines health literacy principles from the Universal Precautions Toolkit into the widely adopted Chronic Care Model and calls for health care providers to: approach all patients as if they are at risk of not understanding health information, employ a range of strategies for clear communication, and confirm that patients understand what providers are saying.

This glossary is intended to serve as a resource for understanding the concepts included in the Affordable Care Act. It provides simple and straightforward definitions of key terms that are part of the health reform law.

Resources and information about health literacy and plain language communication.

Initiative aiming to clarify and explain scientific topics related to health research. This effort features a variety of materials including interactive modules, quizzes, and videos to provide engaging, straightforward content for consumers to dive in and get to know the science.

The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy seeks to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals, and families in a linked, multisector effort to improve health literacy.

The AHRQ QuestionBuilder app helps patients and caregivers prepare for medical appointments and maximize visit time. Patients can use the app to prepare and organize questions by type of medical encounter; take photos of insurance cards, pill bottles, and more; and access consumer education materials and videos.

This toolkit assists in transforming complicated scientific and technical information into materials more easily understood by a variety of health audiences.

The report uses four performance levels to report health literacy: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient.

Registration is required to access this document, which provides a framework for health care organizations to serve the nation's increasingly diverse communities. Also included is a fact sheet and video.

The Universal Patient Language (UPL) is a set of resources that helps you communicate with patients about complex topics.

Provides a detailed and comprehensive set of tools to help make written material in printed formats easier for people to read, understand, and use.

This map tracks state and territorial efforts to promote or implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

The "Teach Back" method permits the health care professional to determine if the patient understands the information they have been given.

Literacy assessment tools for pharmacy, universal precautions, environment are included in this collection.

A group of measures that organizations can use to monitor their efforts to improve organizational health literacy.

This tool assists in assessing document readability.

This tool provides a calculation for assessing document readability.

This website provides access to three health literacy assessment tools: "Short Assessment of Health Literacy-Spanish and English", "Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine-Short Form", and "Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish Adults"

The Health Literacy Tool Shed is an online database of health literacy measures. The site contains information about measures, including their psychometric properties, based on a review of the peer-reviewed literature.

Examples of large-scale surveys and measurements used to gauge health literacy.

This tool assists in the assessment of readability in written documents.

Available in English and Spanish, this health literacy tool was developed by researchers at University of Arizona College of Medicine and the University of North Carolina.

PDF and Excel spreadsheet for this self-administered assessment tool aimed at medical schools, to examine the components of the medical school curriculum. Guidelines for use of the tool, as well as a detailed bibliography are available.

Funding for research focused on identification of the key barriers to effective end-of-life and palliative care (EOLPC) health literacy in diverse settings and populations, and to create novel strategies, interventions, and models of care to improve EOLPC health literacy, with the goal of improving outcomes for individuals with serious, advanced illness and their families and caregivers.

Funding for research focused on identification of the key barriers to effective end-of-life and palliative care (EOLPC) health literacy in diverse settings and populations, and to create novel strategies, interventions, and models of care to improve EOLPC health literacy, with the goal of improving outcomes for individuals with serious, advanced illness and their families and caregivers.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits resource grant applications for projects that will bring useful, usable health information to health disparity populations and their health care providers.

Funding to support investigator-initiated R21 applications that will inform our understanding of the typical and atypical patterns of language and literacy development of dual language learners (DLLs) in the United States.

The purpose of this toolkit is to enable organizations to implement the National CLAS Standards and improve health equity. It is organized according to the enhanced National CLAS Standards, and provides practical tools and examples of CLAS, in addition to efforts to implement the National CLAS Standards that can be adapted for use by health care organizations.

This site provides pharmacists with recently released health literacy tools and other resources from AHRQ.

This guide describes the benefits, steps and educational techniques of becoming a culturally competent health care organization.

The results of a November 2017 workshop, this volume looks at the role of health literacy in improving the health of communities, providing better care, providing affordable care, and improving the experience of the health care team

This publication offers a research agenda for science communicators and researchers seeking to apply research and fill gaps in knowledge about how to communicate effectively about science, focusing in particular on issues that are contentious in the public sphere.

A new report discusses how choosing a healthcare insurance plan can be limited by health literacy, numeracy, and poor website design.

CHIRr provides a resource of outcome variables and suggested measures to guide a comprehensive consumer health informatics assessment.

The primer aims at reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes by providing students in the health professions and practicing health professionals with resources to implement effective cross-cultural communication skills, have the tools necessary to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services to diverse groups, and develop programs and policies to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.

This discussion paper presents a case study to assist developers in creating health literate mobile apps.

This Technical Brief from SEDL describes a systematic review which looked at the ability of cultural competency interventions to improve rehabilitation outcomes for ethnically and linguistically diverse individuals with disabilities, and if so, for whom and under what conditions.

This fact sheet provides five action steps for local health departments to ensure that accessibility and inclusion are agency-wide priorities when developing and delivering all forms of communication.

Information about health literacy including health literacy in a cultural context, the prevalence of low health literacy, and initiatives to improve patient communication.

This series of fact sheets was developed to assist clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders in improving care for individuals with low health literacy.

This paper looks at health literacy as a major component in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

A guide to help you create, plan, run, and evaluate Health Literacy Month events. It is intended as a reference to use throughout your planning process.

This paper demonstrates the intersection of health literacy, health equity, and health disparities both in practice and in research.

This book, from 2004, presents a series of recommendations to promote health literacy.

The results of a November 2014 workshop, this report commemorated the anniversary of the inauguration of the IOM Roundtable on Health Literacy with an examination of the past, present, and future of the field at a local, national and international level.

Resource of quality multilingual, multicultural public health information for those working with or providing care to individuals with limited English proficiency.

A discussion of the definition of health literacy, as included in Healthy People 2030.

This TIP provides professionals in behavioral health and related fields with consensus-based, field-reviewed guidelines on the role of culture in the delivery of mental and substance use disorder services

The results of a systematic review of information on culturally appropriate health care for people with disabilities, for the LGBT community, and for racial/ethnic minorities.

A publication that covers practical methods of integrating health literacy, cultural competence, and language access services into health care delivery.

Held November 14, 2012, this workshop examined the health inequalities affecting Native American, Alaska Native, First Nation, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander populations, and the ways in which culture could help reduce those disparities.

This policy information report from 2004 builds on two prior reports to demonstrate the effects of literacy on health status.

The report of a working group, this document outlines the group's recommendations, based on a series of charges to increase the cultural, linguistic, and health literacy competency of health providers and health care delivery organizations throughout Maryland.

Provided on this website are tools aimed at assisting in the creation of jargon-free documents. Federal Guidelines from the Plain Language Action and Information Network are included.

Summary of a workshop on the intersection of health literacy and precision medicine.

These health literacy materials meet both the need of adults to enhance their literacy skills as well as their need to navigate the health care system and begin to achieve better health care for themselves and their families.

This issue brief examines the importance of culture to health care and health disparities.

This guide helps professional care providers and administrators understand the role of culture in the delivery of mental health and substance use services. It describes cultural competence and discusses racial, ethnic, and cultural considerations.

This paper describes 10 attributes of health literate health care organizations, that is, health care organizations that make it easier for people to navigate, understand, and use information and services to take care of their health.

This study, which includes an introductory video, examines the literature for the evidence of cultural and linguistic competence affecting health and mental health outcomes.

Compiles resources describing the barriers encountered by efforts to improve health literacy in the U.S. population.

CCHCP’s Bridging the Gap is the premier medical interpreter training program. This Training of Trainers (TOT) class is appropriate for staff of agencies and organizations that employ interpreters in medical and/or social service settings. The TOT class will provide participants with the curriculum, skills, and expertise necessary to offer Bridging the Gap in their home organizations.

Clinical Conversations is a program from the Network of the National Library of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NNLM MAR) for training clinicians and other clinical staff who interact with patients about health literacy and related concepts. This program allows clinical trainers or managers to offer brief trainings embedded into regular staff meetings or trainings that they already facilitate as a way to offer continuing education that does not take time out of already busy schedules.

This assessment tool is designed to assist community health centers to advance and sustain cultural and linguistic competence.

Tip sheets to increase awareness about concepts and preferences of patients from diverse cultures.

This interactive training course, aims to raise the quality of interactions between health care professionals and patients by providing an interactive guide to understanding health literacy, cultural competency and limited English proficiency. Free registration is required.

Courses on health literacy from CDC, as well as links to non-CDC courses.

The Leadership Institute is a collaborative, multifaceted initiative with a goal to increase the number and capacity of leaders to advance and sustain cultural and linguistic competence and respond to the growing cultural diversity among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States, its territories, and tribal communities.

This collection serves as a starting point for finding health literacy resources to improve health literacy, improve health outcomes, and reduce disparities in health.

Free web-based course to educate public health professionals on the importance of health literacy and their role in providing health information and services and promoting public health literacy.

Free, continuing education e-learning programs, designed to help users provider culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS).

The primer aims at reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes by providing students in the health professions and practicing health professionals with resources to implement effective cross-cultural communication skills, have the tools necessary to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services to diverse groups, and develop programs and policies to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.

Archived cultural competence webinar series provides an overview of the health concerns and healthcare of LGBT people, to better create comprehensive systems of care that support positive outcomes and experiences for LGBT people. (GLMA)

These educational standards were developed to introduce cultural competence into the social work curriculum.

Training materials from government, educational, and private sources are included on this CDC website. Some courses offer CE credits.

Cultural and linguistic competency is recognized as an important strategy for improving the quality of care provided to clients from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this e-learning program is to help behavioral health professionals increase their cultural and linguistic competency.

This on demand webinar requires registration to attend. It examines the health literacy issues which impact consumers abilities to navigate the health system and participate in their care.

A series of webinars which examine cultural competence issues for the LGBT community.

Dr. Rudd discusses the need to define and develop health literacy environments that support scientific principles, integrate health literacy findings and are conducive to efficacious action at an April 2015 conference.

Conference proceedings and white papers from past seminars are available. The conference discusses of state-of-the-art concepts in communication and medical decisionmaking.

Released February, 2012, from a workshop on July 19, 2011, this report examines the implications of health literacy on the Affordable Care Act. Without significant improvements in health literacy, nearly half of all Americans will find the selection of health insurance to be daunting.

Pre-recorded webinar describes strategies that diabetes educators, health educators, and community health workers can use to enhance and improve patient-provider communication.

Podcast interviews about health literacy.

The results of a workshop from July 18, 2013, this report looks at the issues surrounding numeracy in relation to health literacy.

This workshop, held in November of 2011, looks at the importance of the health care system in enhancing health literacy.

The results of a workshop, held on November 21, 2013, which examined the mission and essential services of public health through the lens of health literacy are outlined in this report.

This webinar features discussion among opioid misuse health literacy experts about effective prevention strategies, approaches, and resources that can advance an understanding and a dialogue between older patients and their health care providers about opioid use.

The summary of a workshop held July 28, 2014, this report looks at the ways in which the informed consent process can be improved with health-literate communications methods.

This volume is the results of a workshop held May 27, 2010.

The results of a workshop held March 29, 2012, this book examines the issues of oral health and health literacy.

Proceedings from workshop on health literacy held September 2006.

The mission of OMH is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities and promote cultural competency, through the Center for Linguistic and Cultural Competence. OMH also supports the OMHRC Knowledge Center Library, an extensive searchable resource.

The NIH Clear Communication Initiative focuses on tools and resources that address health literacy particularly as it relates to conveying scientific information and research: 1) Providing information in the form and with the content that is accessible to specific audiences based on cultural competence; and 2) Incorporating plain language approaches and new technologies.

Highlights HRSA-supported projects on cross-cultural health care in areas such as special population, race/ethnicity, age, organ donation and transplantation, and research.

A collection of AHRQ resources, toolkits, and learning modules for a variety of health care professionals.

The HHS Health Literacy Workgroup is comprised of all operating and most staff divisions under HHS, and has met regularly since 2003. The workgroup collaborates to ensure that improving health literacy remains a priority for HHS. The workgroup strives to create understandable and actionable health information, support and facilitate engaged and activated health consumers, and refresh the health literacy science base on a regular basis.

This agency explores health processes, and examines the impact of disabilities, diseases, and variations on the lives of individuals. As part of its mission, it supports and conducts research aimed at increasing health literacy and numeracy.

The Healthy People 2020 goals provide a science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Among the goals are those aimed at 1)improving the health literacy of the population, and 2)increasing the proportion of persons who report that their health care providers have satisfactory communication skills.

The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) provides national leadership and contributes to the body of knowledge on cultural and linguistic competency within systems and organizations. Major emphasis is placed on translating evidence into policy and practice for programs and personnel concerned with health and mental health care delivery, administration, education and advocacy.

The mission of the Office of Minority Health (OMH) is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities. Detailed information on cultural competency can be found on this site.

This Roundtable is comprised of representatives from academia, industry, government, foundations, and associations, as well as from patient and consumer interests.

Provides resources and tools to promote cultural and linguistic competency in health care including access to free and accredited continuing education programs.