Domenic Screnci, Ed.D. is the Executive Director for Educational Media and Technology at Boston University. He also co-directs Boston University’s new online Master of Science Health Communications Program. Dr. Screnci has 30 years experience in the field of biocommunications and serves as an educational technologist, instructional systems designer and integrator, instructional designer and a producer of curriculum materials for traditional and new media based educational projects.

In this Health Literacy Out Loud podcast, he talks with Helen Osborne about visual literacy. Topics include:

• What visual literacy is and how it relates to health literacy
• Ways visual literacy helps readers interact with information
• How to adapt visuals to meet the needs of specific audiences

More ways to learn:

• International Visual Literacy Association, http://www.ivla.org
• Visual Learning, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_learning
• Visual Literacy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_learning
• Information Design, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_design
• Target ClearRX (click” Meet the Inspiration” to read more about the pill bottle), http://sites.target.com/site/en/health/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-003977
• Edward Tufte – Presenting Data and Information Books and Workshop, http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/index

Books & articles:

• Burmark, L. (2002) Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn.
• Clark, R.C. & Lyons, C. (2004). Graphics for Learning.
• Doak, C.C., Doak, L.G., Root, J.H., 1996. Teaching Patients with Low Literacy Skills (2nd ed.). (Chapter 7: Visuals and How to Use Them). http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/doak.html
• Gangwer, Timothy Patrick (2nd Edition out Feb. 15, 2009) Visual Impact, Visual Teaching: Using Images to Strengthen Learning
• Hodgdon, L. A. (1995). Visual Strategies For Improving Communications: Practical Support for Home and School.
• Lambert, David and Browning Wroe, Jo (2008) Visual Literacy (Bk. 1) Lipton, R. (2002). Designing Across Cultures: How to Create Effective Graphics for Diverse Ethnic Groups.
• Lohr, Linda L. (2007) Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance: Lessons in Visual Literacy (2nd Edition)
• “Thoughts on Visual Literacy,” http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/doak.html
• “Visual Literacy in Higher Education,” http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI4001.pdf
• “Information Design: It is all in the process,” http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI4001.pdf

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This Health Literacy Out Loud podcast is like a patchwork quilt, pieced together with many tips and strategies for communicating effectively with people who have cancer. I recorded it at a meeting of Virginia’s Cancer Planning Action Coalition (CPAC) which met in Charlottesville, VA on November 20, 2008. I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at this conference.

In this podcast, Helen Osborne talks with several CPAC conference participants about their tips for good health communication:

• Sharon Dwyer talks about the power of stories. She highlights how stories can help remove fear, motivate people, and provide support and human connection.
• Susan Seidler speaks about reaching out to seniors in the community. She also highlights ways to improve communication with seniors, in person and in print.
• Michael Pyles, PhD highlights the value of community partnerships, cultural diversity, and how listening is key to action.
• Melanie Dempsey BS, RT(R)(T), CMD discusses the importance of teamwork and how each professional helps with education. She also talks about how stress affects patients’ understanding
• Laura Humbertson MS discusses how information and resources help empower patients.
• Donna Moore RN speaks about her work as a Nurse Navigator. This includes listening to patient’s fears, finding and knocking down barriers, and giving patients hope.

More ways to learn:

• Virginia’s Cancer Planning Action Coalition, http://www.virginiacpac.org/pages/about.html
• Osborne, H. “In Other Words…When Providers Are Patients,” On Call magazine, July 24, 2007. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=6340
• Osborne, H. “In Other Words… Communicating When Naked: My Perspective as a Patient,” On Call magazine, May/June 2006. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=4221

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