Ted Hartwell is Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. The mission of this Council is to generate awareness, promote education, and advocate for quality treatment of problem gambling in the state of Nevada. Ted is in long-term recovery from his own gambling disorder and has been advocating on this issue for over 15 years. Ted also is a professional cellist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

In this podcast, Ted Hartwell talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Gambling disorder. What this term means, who it most affect, and why gambling disorder is now getting increased attention.
• Suggestions for listeners about ways to help. Listeners include clinicians, public health folks, and those working in community agencies.
• Tips for family, friends, parents, employers, and any of us who are dealing with or concerned about gambling disorders.

More ways to learn:

• Nevada Council on Problem Gambling
• Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, When the Fun Stops
• National Council on Problem Gambling
• Problem Gambling Helpline. Call: 1-800-GAMBLER; Text: 800-GAM; Chat: 1800GAMBLERchat.org
• International Center for Responsible Gaming
• Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS), from the Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Chapters especially relevant to this podcast are “Community Connections” and “Know Your Audience: Emotions, Cognition, and Behavioral Health.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Gambling Disorders and Other Addictions (HLOL #253) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Cliff Coleman, MD, MPH, is a physician and international expert in the field of health literacy. His award-winning work focuses on improving health literacy and clear communication training for healthcare professionals through systems approaches, including curriculum design and evaluation.

Coleman is Professor of Family Medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine and serves as Clinical Thread Director for education on health communication, professionalism, and ethics. He is the inaugural Doris and Mark Storms Endowed Chair in Compassionate Communication at OHSU’s Center for Ethics in Health Care. Coleman also chairs the OHSU Health Literacy Workgroup which aims to help OHSU become a health literate organization.

In this podcast, Dr. Cliff Coleman talks with Helen Osborne about:

·      Health information equity. What it is, why it matters, who it most affects.

·      Strategies to use in everyday communication and at a policy level.

·      Why health information equity matters now, and will in years ahead.

More ways to learn:

·      Health Literacy and Systemic Racism—Using Clear Communication to Reduce Health Care Inequities, by Coleman C, Birk S, DeVoe J, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, June 26, 2023

·      Telemedicine: Communicating About Health by Phone or 2-Way Video, a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Dr. Cliff Coleman

·      Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd Edition, from AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

·      National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, from the CDC

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. The chapter “Health Equity in the Context of Health Literacy” is especially relevant to this podcast.

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Health Information Equity: Equal Access to Information that is High-Quality, Understandable, and Usable (HLOL #252) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Cynthia Baur, Ph.D., is the Endowed Chair and Director of the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. Baur is widely recognized as a health communication expert whose work focuses on improving health literacy at the individual, family, community, and organizational levels.

Prior to this position, Cynthia Baur spent nearly two decades focusing on issues of health communication, health literacy, and health policy at U.S. Federal agencies including the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) where she was its Plain Language and Health Literacy Lead.

In 2022, Cynthia Baur and many others worked closely with Maryland lawmakers to designate the Horowitz Center as their state’s consumer health information hub. This huge accomplishment is a shining example of creating a “health literate state,” making health literacy happen statewide.

In this podcast, Cynthia Baur talks with Helen Osborne about:

• The Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub. What this project is, how and why it came about.
• How this Information Hub is fulfilling the vision of the U.S. National Action Plan for Health Literacy for all residents in Maryland.
• Suggestions about ways to make health literacy policy a part of everyday practice.

More Ways to Learn:

• Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub
• Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health
• National Action Plan for Health Literacy, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Cynthia Baur
• CDC’s Clear Communication Index, a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Cynthia Baur

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. The chapter “Organizations: Health Literacy Across Programs, Companies, Communities, and Countries” is especially relevant to this podcast.

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Putting Health Literacy Policy into Practice: How the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub is Making This Happen (HLOL #251) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Joana Andoh, MD, is an ophthalmology resident at The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Andoh has a long-standing passion for both the sciences and humanities. Her interests include social determinants of diabetic retinopathy, domestic violence-related ocular injuries, and geographic healthcare disparities. Dr. Andoh is passionate about using scientific and narrative writing to elevate marginalized communities.

In this podcast, Dr. Joana Andoh talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Family health history. What it includes and ways that patients are asked about their family’s history including by written checklists and office conversations.
• Why family history is important in diagnosis, treatment, and care.
• Problems getting a complete and accurate family health history.
• Examples of ways that patients, families, and clinicians can discuss and learn from histories of generational health.

More ways to learn:

• “The Stories We Don’t Know,” by Joana E. Andoh, MD. Published in JAMA, April 13, 2023.
• Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Two chapters that are especially relevant to this podcast are “Patient & Family Perspective,” and “Health Equity in the Context of Health Literacy.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Family Health History: The Value of Learning about Generational Health (HLOL #250) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Karen Foster is the Executive Director of All Out Adventures based in Massachusetts. Prior to being appointed as its Executive Director, Karen worked for this organization as a program leader. She has also been a 9th grade history teacher and school-based program administrator. Karen is certified to teach coastal kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, and has experience leading many other outdoor recreation programs. Beyond all these accomplishments, Karen is the former Vice President of the City Council and currently a member of the School Committee in her hometown of Northampton, MA.

In this podcast, Karen Foster talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Recreation can bring joy to everyone’s lives. It is a way for people of all ages and abilities to connect with their own bodies and each other.
• Reasons that some people are reluctant to participate in recreation. And ways to address and help overcome this reluctance whether it comes from the individual, their family or caregiver, or the community.
• Resources and suggestions to help make recreation accessible to all.

More ways to learn:

• All Out Adventures: Outdoor recreation for people of all abilities
• Health in Context of People’s Lives. Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Rear Admiral Paul Reed who talks about the importance of finding health in context of the environments in which people live, work, play, grow, and age.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Chapters especially relevant to this podcast are “Community Connections” and “Zest and Pizzazz.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Accessible Recreation for All (HLOL #249) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Molly Lynch, MPH, and Linda Squiers, PhD, both work within the Communication Practice Area at RTI International. Lynch has over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs with a focus on health literacy. She now directs RTI’s Audience Engagement Research Program. This includes using human-centered design principles to engage audiences in the development of communication products and interventions.

Squiers has over 30 years of experience in health communication research. She focuses on developing and testing health communication messages and interventions for print materials, videos, campaigns, and other online tools. Squiers is a Senior Health Communication Scientist at RTI.

Molly Lynch and Linda Squiers talk with Helen Osborne about:

• Intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) and extreme low literacy (ELL). Why it is important to create materials specific to this audience.
• Creating these materials goes beyond plain language. It also includes using evidence-based best practices that focus on behaviors, sentences, words and numbers, text layout, and visuals.
• Information about a guide to help you develop materials and a tool to check how well your materials follow these guidelines.

More ways to learn:

• How to Develop Products for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Extreme Low Literacy: A Product Development Tool. Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• “Building Evidence for Principles to Guide the Development of Products for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Extreme Low Literacy–A Product Development Tool.” By Squiers L, Lynch MM, et al. Published in Healthcare, June 14, 2023.
• The CDC Clear Communication Index

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. The chapter “Know Your Audience: Emotions, Cognition, and Behavioral Health” is especially relevant to this podcast.

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Developing Materials for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Extreme Low Literacy (HLOL #248) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Rohini Khillan, MPH, has been working in the field of public health policy for over a decade in both federal agencies and large nonprofit organizations. While her focus is primarily on issues of aging and disability, Rohini has worked on a variety of topics that include access to care and socioeconomic disparities. Much of her work centers on making complex health topics accessible to a variety of lay audiences through written materials and in-person communication.

In this podcast, Rohini Khillan talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Assume that your audience is already somewhat savvy and knowledgeable about this topic and now interested in clarification.
• Treat your audience like a close friend. Respect their lived experiences, preferences, and habits.
• Always err on the side of inclusivity when it comes to ability and age.

More ways to learn:

• Health in Context of People’s Lives. Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Rear Admiral Paul Reed, MD.
• Building Trust with Each Audience. Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Lenora Johnson, DrPH, MPH
• Communicating Complex Health Messages in a Complex World. Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Glen Nowak, PhD.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Chapters that especially relate to this podcast include “Patient & Family Perspective,” “Health Equity in the Context of Health

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Start by Assuming Your Audience is Smart and Savvy (HLOL #247) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Cindy Brach was the lead for health literacy and cultural competence at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and co-chaired the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Literacy Workgroup. Brach led the creation of many important health literacy tools and resources including the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, the discussion paper, “Ten Attributes of a Health Literate Health Care Organization,” from the Roundtable on Health Literacy, and PEMAT, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool.Now retired, Brach reflects on the evolution of the field of health literacy.

In this podcast, Cindy Brach talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Perspective about how health literacy has changed over time. Health literacy began with a realization that written materials were too hard to understand. Soon after, it also looked at spoken communication. Once value-based care came along, patient engagement became a key focus. The goal for many organizations now is to address health literacy systematically and become health literate organizations.
• Developing effective, evidence-based tools to help. Once organizations became aware that there was a problem, they sought tools and strategies to help. AHRQ took a lead role in developing many of them. You can learn more on AHRQ health literacy website and access the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd
• Vision and hope for what’s ahead. While a lot has been accomplished in health literacy, there is still more work ahead. In Brach’s opinion, that includes research about which interventions are most effective, how best to implement them, and what organizations get in return for being health literate. It also includes an increased focus on health literacy strategies to promote health equity.

More ways to learn:

• AHRQ Health Literacy website, with tools and resources, including the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd
• “Ten Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations,” from the Roundtable on Health Literacy, and AHRQ tools to implement the attributes.
• The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and User’s Guide
• “New Directions for Health Literacy Research,” by Weiss BD, Abrams MA, Mansfield ED, and Sorensen K. Published in HLRP (Health Literacy Research and Practice), December, 2023.
• “PEMAT: Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (HLOL #109),” a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Cindy Brach.
• “Attributes of Health Literacy Organizations (HLOL #82),” a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Cindy Brach.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Many chapters are relevant to this podcast including “About Health Literacy,” “Assessment Tools for Health Literacy,” “Assessment tools for Readability” and “Organizations: Health Literacy Across Programs, Companies, Communities, and Countries.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Cindy Brach Talks About the Evolution of Health Literacy (HLOL #246) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Aditya Tummala and Beier Nelson are Co-Founders and Executive Directors of The Health Fluency Project. Their goal is to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other technology to help dismantle barriers that prevent people from accessing health services. Tummala is an undergrad student at Harvard College studying Biomedical Engineering. His primary focus is on socioeconomic disparities that act as health care barriers in rural and marginalized communities. Nelson is also an undergrad at Harvard College. With a dual concentration in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Government, he is looking at community-based barriers to care.

Tummala and Nelson talk with Helen Osborne about:

• Language, culture, and other differences between patients and providers that can make it even harder to effectively communicate about health.
• Ways to help make this communication easier for everyone. That includes exciting possibilities for using AI and other technology.
• Tips, suggestions, and resources to start using now.

More ways to learn:

• The Health Fluency Project
• “To Advance Health Equity for Patients With Limited English Proficiency, Go Beyond Interpreter Services,” by Nelson B, Tu L, Cody Stanford F. Published in Health Affairs Forefront, October 23, 2023.
• MD & Me, an AI-based medical communication tool from AuxHealth

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Chapters that especially relate to this podcast include “Know Your Audience: Culture and Language,” and the three chapters about Technology.

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Innovative Ideas for Using AI in Health Literacy (HLOL #245) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Rear Admiral (RDML) Paul Reed, MD is the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a pediatrician, and a senior U.S. Public Health Service Officer. His primary responsibility is to advise the Assistant Secretary for Health on disease prevention and health promotion programs and policies. Additionally, RDML Reed provides direction and oversight for national health initiatives such as Healthy People 2030, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.

In this podcast, RDML Paul Reed talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Finding health in context of people’s lives including in the environments where they live, work, play, grow, and age.
• Reframing health in terms of vital conditions for well-being and justice.
• Building resilience within communities and encouraging citizens to flex their “civic muscles” so as to help everyone reach their full potential.

More ways to Learn:

• Health.gov. Includes important links to health literacy information and resources. From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
• Health Literacy in Healthy People 2030. Includes the health literacy definitions and objectives in this U.S. public health initiative. From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
• Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being Framework, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
• “Health and Well-Being Begin with Health Literacy”, a blog post by RDML Paul Reed, October 12, 2021
• “Organizations Have an Opportunity to Enhance Health Literacy”, a blog post by RDML Paul Reed, October 25, 2022.
• “Living Artful Lives to Enhance Health and Well-Being”, a blog post by RDML Paul Reed, March 28, 2023.
• “Establishing Equitable Resilience Requires Shared Stewardship”, a blog post by RDML Paul Reed, January 30, 2023
• “Akron-Summit County Public Library and Healthy People: Prioritizing Educational Opportunities for Community Members”, a blog post that is part of Healthy People 2020 in Review, December 5, 2022
• “Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry and Healthy People: Repairing Homes to Help Ensure Safety and Independence”, a blog post that is part of Healthy People 2020 in Review, November 9, 2022.
• “Sacramento Public Library and Healthy People: Prioritizing Health Literacy to Meet Community Members’ Needs”, a blog post that is part of Healthy People 2020 in Review, October 26, 2022.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. Especially relevant to this podcast are the chapters, “Community Connections,” “Health Equity in the Context of Health Literacy,” and “Organizations: Health Literacy Across Programs, Companies, Communities, and Countries.”

Read a transcript of this podcast.

The post Health in Context of People’s Lives (HLOL #244) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Akila Muthukumar graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a major in human developmental and regenerative biology and a minor in English. Muthukumar helped establish and lead a question-listing service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She also has done a lot of writing, including for the health and medicine website, STAT News. She hopes to combine these interests as a physician-writer. This year, Muthukumar is living in rural south India (where she recorded this podcast) and working at a nonprofit dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities.

In this podcast, Akila Muthukumar talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Helping patients make a list of questions to ask at upcoming medical appointments.
• Strategies to help patients think of, and organize, their questions.
• Ways that this question list can benefit patients, providers, and students

More ways to learn:

• “The question list is a simple way to help patients prepare for appointments,” by Akila Muthukuma Valliammai, Leigh Simmons, and Karen Sepucha, STAT News, First Opinion. September 5, 2023.
• UCSF: The Patient Support Corps
• “Decision Support for Patients Making Life-Changing Choices (HLOL #49),” a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Jeff Belkora.
• “Questions Are the Answer to Helping Patients Understand Their Health,” by Helen Osborne. Published in On Call Magazine, June 25, 2008.

Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition, by Helen Osborne. The chapter “Question-Asking” is especially relevant to this podcast.

Read a transcript of this podcast.

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