Introduction to the Newest Vital Sign teaches health workers how to improve health literacy in about three minutes

WOBURN, MA, May 2, 2014  – Employers now have another course to address health literacy rates among their staff and clients. CHWTraining.org, a leader in training for health professionals, is now offering a new course: Introduction to The Newest Vital Sign, which begins July 15 and is now open for registration.  Employee training starts at $19.95, with discounted group pricing available.

Organizations that are moving their online training program into an online space are faced with a difficult decision that will endure for the life of the program. Does it make sense to hire a new facilitator who is skilled in online work, or train an existing employee to do the work?

Pros of hiring from within

Both decisions have pros and cons, and ultimately organizations must make a decision based on their individual needs. However, there are some clear benefits and drawbacks.

One top pro is that you know your employees and what they do. You have a history with them that indicates how adept they are at change or if they have untapped skills that can be used. It can make the transition much smoother. Internal employees also know you and what you do. It takes less time for these kinds of hires to understand the details of your organization and your mission. An existing trainer also has in-depth knowledge of your material and audience.

The solution to all performance problems is not always training. Sometimes it can be as simple as a workflow improvement or a job aid. The flowchart “Is training really the answer?” from instruction expert Cathy Moore helps you decide if your organization needs a training program or might need a simpler resource. Moore has also

The solution to all performance problems is not always training. Sometimes it can be as simple as a workflow improvement or a job aid.

The flowchart “Is training really the answer?” from instruction expert Cathy Moore helps you decide if your organization needs a training program or might need a simpler resource. Moore has also created an 8-minute video that explains the flowchart in depth.

Is training the solution to your workplace problem? Contact us for a free consultation to discuss options.

New courses to enable baseline knowledge are now available for CHWs

Recent polls about the Affordable Care Act reveal that many Americans remain confused about the law. A Field Poll reports that fewer than half of the Californians who would be eligible for benefits under the law are aware that they are, while a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that a majority of Americans are still unsure about how the law will impact them, and that awareness hasn’t improved since the law was enacted in 2010.

As enrollment for the Affordable Care Act ramps up to begin in October, Americans across the country are realizing they need to quickly become more knowledgeable about the Affordable Care Act. This need is even more pronounced among the organizations that provide community health support, and particularly among the Community Health Workers (CHWs) who are at the front lines.

“A lot of people don’t know the facts,” says Alecia Distin, an Americorp Volunteer and Community Health Worker for the Center for Black Women’s Wellness in Atlanta.

Pop quiz: how many pills per day should you take if your prescription says, “Take 2 pills twice daily.” If you’re not sure if that’s a total of two pills per day or four pills per day, you’re not alone.*

In a recent study of adults from different backgrounds, nearly half misunderstood at least one out of five prescription labels. Those with low health literacy rates frequently misunderstood four out of five labels.

Poorly worded materials, or those written at a high reading level, can have disastrous–even deadly–effects on patients. The best way to fix the problem is for health systems and health departments to train public health professionals to write clearly.

Begin by incorporating these four areas into your training program:

1. Stop using medical terminology.

Make it a policy not to use terms like “renal” or “influenza” in communication with patients. They’re not clear and frequently misinterpreted.

Jargon is the scourge of all industries, but nowhere is it more damaging than in healthcare. Misunderstanding what a health worker is saying regarding treatment might make the difference between life and death in a patient.

Health literacy rates are remarkably low in this country–according to the Health Literacy Fact Sheet 9 out of 10 people don’t have the skills necessary to manage health and prevent disease.

Patients may understand far less than you think they do. According to a study from the Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, a group of 249 adults understood less than half of the terms they were asked, including:

The typical patient walking out of a doctor’s appointment can remember only about half of what they were just told. The combination of a flood of information, new terminology and, in some cases, shock can make it difficult for anyone to absorb everything.

This fact is at odds with common assumptions about health literacy. Members of healthcare teams are often incorrect supposing that patients with low health literacy are poor, elderly, uneducated or non-native English speakers. While those kinds of populations may indeed have difficulty understanding treatment and prevention, it’s still a dangerous misconception that leads to a remarkably low health literacy rate. Government research shows that 9 out of 10 people lack the skills they need to manage their health and prevent disease.