Geriatric Health Literacy Workshop

Date of Review: February, 2024

This resource, from MedEd Portal, was created for interdisciplinary trainees (evaluated by University of Chicago and/or Cook County Hospital family and internal medicine interns, residents, fellows, and attending physicians) to raise awareness about health literacy, specifically in minority older adults. It also serves to enhance provider communication skills and teach identifying characteristics of culturally appropriate patient handout materials. In their review of the results of this curriculum, trainees were found to increase their use of the teach-back method in patient encounters, demonstrated abilities to better revise patient handout material by lowering the reading level from grade 11.5 to grade 6.3, and report statistically significant improvement in self-assessment of communication skills. This 2.5-hour workshop includes a didactic lecture and slide presentation, role-playing cases, and patient handout materials for learners to critique and revise together. This resource acknowledges the future of healthcare and discusses anticipated demographic changes in the United States over the next 50 years, best preparing the learners for the healthcare of tomorrow. Furthermore, it recognizes the impact of low health literacy on geriatric patients, which has been shown to lead to increased morbidity and mortality and increased health care costs. -Cassandra Smith, DO, NCEAS

Institution:

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

Where was the Curriculum Implemented:

Chicago, IL

Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:

Learner Satisfaction or reaction

Self-reported learner knowledge

Measured learner behavior in real patient setting

Outcome and Study Design:

Pre/Post

Level of Learner Assessment

Knowledge Application (Case vignette, non-reflective essay)

Demonstration of skill with patients in the clinical or community setting (direct observation, 360 assessment, patient surveys)