Health Literacy - You Can't Tell By Looking!: Assessing a Patient's Ability to Read and Understand Health Information

This module will help you determine whether a patient or family has a literacy problem. A discussion of whether or not to test a person for reading ability and comprehension is presented. Tools/tests available to measure a person's ability to read and understand health information are described, including the REALM, TOFHLA, and the Newest Vital Sign. Also included are observations and key questions to ask that provide clues to help alert you that a person has low literacy skills.

Objectives:

Participants who complete this module will be able to:

1. Discuss the issue of whether or not to test a person for literacy level.
2. Identify clues to look for in a person's self-care and communication behaviors that will help determine low literacy skills.
3. Identify assessment questions that may help identify a person with low literacy skills.
4. Describe tests available to measure a person's reading skills: Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R-III).
5. Describe tests available to measure a person's comprehension skills: Listening Test, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), Short TOFHLA, and Newest Vital Sign.

Note: If you need assistance accessing this course, have a disability that requires digitally accessible accommodations, or would like to request a digitally accessible course completion certificate, please email ScarletCanvasMedEd@osumc.edu or call 614-366-0943. We will respond to your request within two business days.