Introducing

1
Introducing

• A Health Literacy Curriculum
• for Beginning Level ABE Students

Health Literacy Summit San Francisco
2/28/2008
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Why Health Literacy?

• Adults with low literacy
• more likely to report poor health status
• have difficulty understanding prescription and
  other medical instructions
• receive incorrect diagnoses due to limited
  ability to communicate with health care provider
• experience annual healthcare costs four times
  higher than those with higher health literacy
• cost the health care system as much as 73
  billion per year (AMA Foundation, 2006)

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Background

• Original Research Project Funded by
• National Institute of Child Health and Human
  Development (NICHD)
• U.S. Department of Education (OVAE)
• National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)
• Funding Term October, 2002 August, 2007

4
Susan R. Levy, PhD Principal Investigator Institut
e for Health Research and Policy, Univ. of
Illinois, Chicago
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7 Different Levels

• Health content is basically equivalent across
  levels (different activities foster different
  skills)
• ABE Beginning
• ABE Intermediate
• ABE Advanced
• ABE Secondary
• ESOL Beginning
• ESOL Intermediate
• ESOL Advanced

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Project Summary

• Ultimate Goal
• Health Literacy Curriculum will simultaneously
  improve general adult literacy skills as well as
  improve health-related knowledge, self efficacy,
  and potentially, health-promoting behaviors

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Health Literacy Assessment Sample ?s

• What are over-the-counter drugs?
• A. Drugs you dont need a prescription for
• B. Drugs that are safe for everyone
• C. Drugs you can only get at a hospital
• D. Drugs that have no warning labels

• What does a balanced diet mean?
• A. Eating three meals a day.
• B. Eating no more than two snacks a day
• C. Eating moderate amounts of food
• D. Eating food from the six major food groups

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Health Literacy Assessment Samples

• How likely are you to tell your doctor about
  diseases in your family?
• Very Very
• Unlikely Likely
• 1 2 3 4 5 6

• How likely are you to make a dental appointment
  in the next six months?
• Very Very
• Unlikely Likely
• 1 2 3 4 5 6

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Health Literacy Assessment Samples

• How confident are you that you can follow the
  directions on over-the-counter medications?
• Not at all Very
• confident confident
• 1 2 3 4 5 6

• How confident are you that you can talk with your
  physician about an embarrassing problem?
• Not at all Very
• confident confident
• 1 2 3 4 5 6

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ABE Beginning Level Curriculum

• 18 Sections content covered
• Health Professionals
• Emergency Care
• Self-care Preventive Care
• Physical Activity Good Nutrition
• Making and Keeping Appointments
• Talking to Health Professionals
• Medical tests and other follow-up care
  instructions
• Medical History Forms
• Medications drug groups, warnings, dosage
  directions
• Paying for Health Services

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ABE Beginning Level Curriculum Anatomy

• Each of the18 Sections contains
• 3 On-line Folders
• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 3 Emergency Care

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

Supply the missing beat
e- -gen-cy e-mer-gen-
-mer-gen-cy Ty- -nol Ty-le-
-le-nol
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Section 3 Emergency Care
Emergency or Not?

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

Sondras 9-year old son Ted, was playing
baseball. A fast ball hit Ted on the side of his
head. Ted fell to the ground. He did not move.
Sondra ran to him. When she got there, Ted
opened his eyes. He sat up. Soon, a large
bruise formed on his head. Sondra took Ted home
right away. She gave him two childrens Tylenol.
She put an ice pack on the side of his head. In
about 15 minutes, Ted said, I feel tired. I
want to go to sleep.
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Section 3 Emergency Care
Language Experience Story
1.
2. 3.
4.

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 7 Making Appointments

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

appointment preventive checkup
See you in 6 months!
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Section 7 Making Appointments

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

To make good health decisions, you need to know
how to make and keep an appointment with a health
professional. If you want to see a health
professional, you might have to make an
appointment. When you have an appointment, the
health professional knows you are coming and will
have time to see you. If you cant keep your
appointment, then you should call right away.
Health professionals want to know if you are not
coming in. Sometimes you dont have to make an
appointment. Some clinics let patients walk in
and wait to see the health professional.
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Section 7 Making Appointments

• Circle the correct abbreviation for
• the day you hear.
• 1. Thu. TH Tues.
• 2. Sun. S SA
• 3. WD Wed. M
• Mun. Mon. W

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

• Write an abbreviation for the day
• you hear.
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.

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Section 7 Making Appointments

• Say the month name.
• 1. Feb.
• 2. 4
• 3. Oct.
• 7

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

• Read the appointment time.
• 1. Mon. 7/13/08, 315 p.m.
• 2. Sat. Sept. 25, 1030 a.m.
• 3. Tues. 2-9 2009, 845 a.m.
• 4. F Apr. 5, 2008 - 100 p.m.

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Section 8 Talking to Health
Professionals

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

• From Beginner Story
• do
• any
• other
• walk
• know
• was
• your

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Section 8 Talking to Health
Professionals

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

Deb is talking to a nurse practitioner. She has a
terrible ache in her back. She thinks she hurt it
in a yoga class a few days ago. Do you have any
other symptoms? asked Tom. Well, today I feel
weak. I can hardly walk. How about a fever?
asked Tom. I dont know, said Deb. I was
sweating a lot last night. Tom asked, Do you
have any pain when you go to the bathroom? And
have you noticed any change in your urine?
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Section 8 Talking to Health
Professionals

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

Deb felt embarrassed. For the past few days she
had felt a little burning when she went to the
bathroom. Her urine looked cloudy. It had a bad
smell. She told Tom all of this. OK, Deb. I
need you to give a urine sample. How come I
have to pee in a jar? she asked. Good
question. You see, I dont think you hurt your
back in yoga, Deb. Its a good thing you told me
about ALL of your symptoms. I think you might
have a kidney infection. A kidney infection?
cried Deb. Yes. If so, we need to treat it
right away.
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Section 8 Talking to Health
Professionals
Circle the correct symptom/health problem.
1. a. earache b. fever c. runny
nose 2. a. sore throat b. dizzy c.
chills 3. a. diarrhea b. painful
urination c. sore throat

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 11 After a Health Care Visit

• Clap the beats

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 11 After a Health Care Visit

• Supplemental Vocabulary
• (words which may come up in oral
• discussions or other activities)
• diagnosticto identify and find
  out the nature of a disease
• ligament - a band of cord-like
  tissue that connects bones together
• MRI - a diagnostic test that
• provides pictures of
  the soft tissue in the body

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 11 After a Health Care Visit

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

Call this number as soon as you get home to set
up your MRI appointment. The test is done at the
hospital. I am also going to refer you to an
orthopedist, Dr. Hopedale. Dr. Hopedale is very
good with knee injury cases. It will take a few
days for his office to get the referral
paperwork. Call him three days from today to
make an appointment. Your MRI results will be
sent right to him. He will need them before he
sees you. Usually they try to get you in a few
days after your MRI.
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Section 11 After a Health Care Visit

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

TRUE or FALSE Jose will go to his doctors
office to get an MRI. Jose should call in three
days to set up his MRI. Jose needs to take his
MRI results with him to the orthopedist. Jose
should call the orthopedists office right
away. Jose should know when his MRI appointment
is before he calls the orthopedists office.
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Section 16 Other Drugs

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Section 16 Other Drugs

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading
• Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

• I want a n mal, healthy baby, said Toni.
• Of course you do! said Dr. Rashid. Good!
• There are people who can hel you to make
• changes in your life. A lot of people need
• some extra supp t to quit these things.
• I think I might need some elp, said Toni.
• Ive tried to quit smoking and drinking
• before, but it was too h d.
• I un stand. Most people have to try more
• than one time to quit. But now you have the
• best reason ever to do it!

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Section 16 Other Drugs

• 1. Basic Skills Vocabulary
• 2. Reading Comprehension
• 3. Supplemental Activities

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Field Testing

• New Instructor Manual and updated Curriculum are
  being field tested by Literacy Action Inc.,
  Atlanta, GA

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Systematic Phonics Mini-demonstration

• Mini-clips inserted throughout on-line Instructor
  Manual
• Vocabulary practice
• Multi-sensory sight words
• Systematic phonics
• Guided Reading/Comp
• Beginner Writing

• Play Clip 5
• Systematic Phonics Instruction -
• word analysis and
• scooping multi-syllable words.

Literacy Solutions DVDs Tutoring Techniques
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Whats next?

• Adult Literacy Instructors soon will be able to
• download Instructor Manual for ABE Beginning
  Level,
• including Literacy Solutions demo video clips
• download Health Literacy Assessment
• select and download content from ABE Beginning
  Level Health Literacy Curriculum (Sections 1-18)
• access links to other resources
• Look for it this fall at www.nifl.gov

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Questions?

• For more information or training opportunities,
  contact
• Meg Schofield
• megschofield_at_yahoo.com
• [phone]
• Thank you!