410.651.01
Health Literacy: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Communication

Location
East Baltimore
Term
3rd Term
Department
Health, Behavior and Society
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2018 - 2019
Instruction Method
TBD
Class Time(s)
M, W, 3:30 - 4:50pm
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Debra Roter
Contact Name
Debra Roter
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite
Description
Functional health literacy deficits are widespread and represent a significant challenge to the health of the public and the delivery of quality health care. Address of these deficits is not dependent on more formal education but in conveying health information in a meaningful, actionable and accessible manner to individuals with poor literacy skills. This course will help students appreciate the literacy demand challenges presented in common print-based, web-based and face to face communication during health encounters and approaches to their amelioration.
Introduces the broad areas of literacy and health literacy. Discusses approaches to the assessment of key health literacy skills linked to behavioral and health outcomes. Prepares students to create and evaluate print-based health education materials suitable for low literate audiences. Introduces frameworks suitable for literacy assessment of web-based health information and oral literacy demand of medical encounters.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Discuss the common definitions and measures of literacy, functional literacy and health literacy in the U.S. and worldwide, and the consequences of literacy deficits for patient empowerment, health-related behaviors and health outcomes.
  2. Describe the nature of the literacy environment and key attributes of literate health care organizations
  3. Develop skill in producing and evaluating health education materials suitable for users with restricted literacy skills
  4. Develop skill in evaluating the suitability of websites for users with restricted literacy
  5. Critically assess health information presented through advertising, news and entertainment and how it is perceived across the literacy continuum.
Instructor Consent
No consent required