Wendy Jones, 2005, National Center for Cultural Competence,

1

• Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care
• At a minimum, patients must be able to
• Access information
• Recognize cues to action
• Access care
• Navigate institutions
• Complete forms
• Provide consent
• Communicate with professionals
• Provide information for assessment, diagnosis,
  treatment
• Understand directions
• Follow regimens
• Advocate

2
Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care

• Access information- possess the ability to read
  comprehend and use resources to 1) obtain health
  information, 2) identify and contact healthcare
  providers, programs and services 3) make
  decisions.
• Recognize cues to action- ability to1) take
  information from public service announcements and
  other health promotion and intervention
  resources, 2) infer from verbal and written
  comments and recommendations for preventive,
  follow-up, diagnostic and specialty care.

3
Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care

• Access care- within the physical environment,
  ability to read signs or maps of a facility
  including finding the location of a department or
  clinic knowledge of insurance coverage,
  communicating need for healthcare
• Navigate institutions- knowledge of 1)
  consumer/patient rights and responsibilities 2),
  insurance plan benefits (covered and non-covered
  services, co-pay or percentage of cost for
  services and prescriptions), and 3) appeal
  process for denial of services or supports.
  Ability to determine eligibility for programs and
  services.

4
Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care

• Complete forms- possess reading and written
  language skills to read, comprehend and complete
  forms and applications with required information.
• Provide consent- ability to calculate risks and
  benefits of intervention or treatment regimens
  understand what providing consent to receive
  healthcare means.
• Communicate with professionals- skills to provide
  and receive information, analyze and synthesize
  information received, and ask questions based
  upon information obtained.

5
Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care

• Provide information for assessment, diagnosis,
  and treatment- provide complete medical and
  family history in oral or written format,
  including 1) previous illnesses or surgeries, 2)
  previous and current medications dosage, length
  of time taking medication, side effects, whether
  its working 3) current diagnoses and treatment,
  4) signs and symptoms of illness, 5) change in
  health status, and 6) health practices.
• Understand directions- ability to understand oral
  and/or written information including 1)
  referrals for healthcare services, diagnostic
  testing, therapy or other healthcare services,
  and 2) instructions for taking medications or
  following treatment regimens.

6
Literacy Needs in Health Mental Health Care

• Follow regimens- ability to understand, remember
  and carry out written or oral treatment processes
  including 1) how to take/administer medications,
  2) when to take medication, 3) use of measuring
  tools, 4) measuring medicines, 5) identifying
  changes in health status (signs, symptoms,
  feelings of fatigue/tiredness, shortness of
  breath, etc.), and 6) maintaining a record of
  health through charts and/or keeping a journal.
• Advocate- ability to apply knowledge of systems
  processes, consumer/patient rights and
  responsibilities to promote 1) most appropriate
  health care services and related health insurance
  coverage, and 2) provision of information in
  understandable formats.