Pamela Katz Ressler, RN, BSN, HN-BC, is the founder and president of Stress Resources based in Concord, Massachusetts. She specializes in stress management, health communication, and holistic healthcare. Pam is an early adopter of social media, especially using it as a tool of health communication. Her graduate research looks at the experience of illness through patient blogging and the use of social media as a means to increase patient engagement.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about:

• What blogging is and why it matters to both patients and providers.
• Ways that blogging reflects the experience of illness and fosters resilience.
• Practical strategies and resources for those new to blogging.

More Ways to Learn:

There are many ways to contact Pam and learn about her work:

• Website: http://www.StressResources.com
• Blog: http://pamressler.blogspot.com
• FB: http://facebook.com/StressResources
• Twitter: @stressresources @pamressler
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelakatzressler

Blogging references and examples include:

• http://www.stressresources.com/patientblogging.html
• http://learn.wordpress.com/get-started/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnploFsS_tY

Perri Klass, MD, FAAP, is the National Medical Director of Reach Out and Read—a non-profit initiative that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide. Reach Out and Read gives new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Beyond her work with Reach Out and Read, Dr. Klass is a professor of journalism and pediatrics at New York University and also works at Bellevue Hospital Clinic. She served on the Health Literacy Project Advisory Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, Dr. Klass is a widely published author of both fiction and nonfiction, who writes frequently about topics concerning children and health. She also writes about her ongoing interest in knitting.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Reach Out and Read, a program to encourage early literacy and promote reading aloud.
• Why it is important to address literacy in well-child pediatric visits.
• The intersection of literacy, learning, and health from childhood on.

More Ways to Learn:

• Reach Out and Read, http://www.reachoutandread.org
• Osborne H, “In Other Words…Make a Difference…Be a Literacy Volunteer,” On Call magazine, April 2001. Available at www.healthliteracy.com/literacy-volunteer

Barbra Rabson is the executive director of the Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP). Under her leadership, MHQP has become a trusted source of physician performance information in Massachusetts. MHQP is recognized nationally as well, for its collaborative approach to gathering and reporting on comparative health care quality data.

In this podcast, Barbra Rabson talks with Helen Osborne about:

• How comparative performance data helps providers and consumers alike.
• “Expect the Best,” a consumer campaign focused on healthcare quality.
• Strategies and tips for climbing the “mountain of mutual understanding.”

More Ways to Learn:

• Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) Quality Reports, at www.mhqp.org
• National Guideline Clearinghouse, at http://www.guideline.gov
• Partnership for Healthcare Excellence, at http://www.partnershipforhealthcare.org/
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm

Carolyn Ijams Speros DNSc, FNP-BC, is a nationally recognized expert in nursing and patient education. Throughout her career, she has worked in nursing education, nursing administration, and advanced nursing practice with a focus on systems and strategies in nursing that promote patient education and health literacy. Dr. Speros is Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Memphis and also maintains a practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about communicating with older adults. Topics include:

• Special learning needs of older adults due to cognitive, psychological, and physical changes associated with aging.
• Strategies to communicate effectively, even when there is limited time.
• Respectful ways to assess and confirm that information is understood.

More Ways to Learn:

• Dr. Carolyn Speros is Associate Professor at the University of Memphis Loewenberg School of Nursing. You can email her directly at csperos@memphis.edu
• Speros CI, “More than Words: Promoting Health Literacy in Older Adults,” The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. 2009; 14(3). Available at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/717469
• Speros CI, “Health Literacy: Concept Analysis,” Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2005; 50(6), 633-640.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective. Part 9: Material for older adults. Available at http://www.cms.gov/WrittenMaterialsToolkit/11_ToolkitPart09.asp#TopOfPage
• Knowles M, 1990. The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species, 4th ed. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company.
• Knowles M, 1980. The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.
• Osborne H (host), Stuen C (guest), September 8, 2009. Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #21: Age-Related Vision Loss. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2009/09/08/hlol-21-age-related-vision-loss/
• Osborne H, 2005. Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Jones & Bartlett: Sudbury, MA.

Click here for a transcript of this podcast.

Jeff Belkora PhD is a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). There he runs the Medical Center’s Decision Services program, helping patients weigh the risks and benefits of their treatment options. Belkora also consults with outside organizations about decision support for patients making life-changing choices. In all this work, Belkora’s focus is on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making.

In this podcast, he talks with Helen Osborne about:

• How decision support helps patients reflect critically on life-changing choices.
• Strategies and systems to help patients understand decisions and communicate effectively.
• Lessons learned that listeners can use in day-to-day practice.

More Ways to Learn:

• UCSF Medical Center: Breast Cancer Decision Services, at http://decisionservices.ucsf.edu
• Jeff Belkora’s Guidesmith site, www.jeffbelkora.com
• Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, http://www.informedmedicaldecisions.org/
• American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/
• National Cancer Institute Help Options, http://www.cancer.gov/help
• Osborne H, “In Other Words…Helping Patients Make Difficult Decisions,” On Call magazine, April 2004. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3808
  

Michael Mackert PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on using traditional and new digital media to provide health education to audiences of all levels, interests, and familiarity with health. Mackert is an advocate of using advertising principles in public health campaigns. In this podcast, he talks about:

• Advertising and public health campaigns. How these strategies are alike and how they differ.
• Ways to use social media and traditional press to promote your public health message.
• Stories, examples, and practical suggestions you can use right away.

More Ways to Learn:

• Michael Mackert PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising at The University of Texas at Austin. You can reach him by email at mackert@mail.utexas.edu.
• To learn more about Mackert’s research, go to his blog at http://www.healthcommunicationresearch.com.
• AHRQ’s campaign, “Real Men Wear Gowns” is available at http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=501

Deborah Wachenheim is the Health Quality Manager at Health Care for All (HCFA) in Boston, MA. The mission of HCFA is to create a consumer-centered healthcare system that works for everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable.

HCFA’s Consumer Health Quality Council drafted legislation that was recently enacted to establish Patient and Family Advisory Councils at all hospitals in Massachusetts. In this podcast, Wachenheim talks about the process of making this happen.

Topics include:

• Patient and family advisory councils. What they are, how they help, and who they include.
• Process of drafting and enacting a new statewide law.
• Lessons learned about patient councils and the legislative process.

More ways to learn:

• Deborah Wachenheim is the Health Quality Manager at Health Care for All. You can contact her by email at dwachenheim@hcfama.org.
• Health Care for All, http://www.hcfama.org/. Click this link to find more information about Patient and Family Advisory Councils.
• Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care, http://www.ipfcc.org/

Valerie Fletcher is Executive Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) —a non-profit international educational and design company based in Boston, MA. In this work, she oversees a wide range of projects focused on making the world and the web inclusive and accessible to all.

Valerie started as a textile designer, creating clothing for women as they age. She now applies design principles to physical spaces as well as to communication, information, policies, and attitudes. Valerie’s focus is international, serving as an advisor to the Singapore government as well as to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about:

• What is universal design? How does it apply to health communication?
• How universal design helps people of all functional limitations, not just those with disabilities.
• Practical strategies to improve health communication in person, in print, and on the web.

More Ways to Learn:

• Valerie Fletcher is the Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Centered Design in Boston, MA. You can email her directly at vfletcher@HumanCenteredDesign.org
• Institute for Human-Centered Design, www.humancentereddesign.org
• Bright, Keith and Geoffrey Cook. The Colour, Light and Contrast Manual: Designing and Managing Inclusive Built Environments. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
• Keates, Simeon and Clarkson, J. Countering Design Exclusion: An Introduction to Inclusive Design.  London: Springer – Verlag, 2003.
• Norman, Donald A. The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
• Preiser, Wolfgang, Editor in Chief; Korydon Smith, Senior Editor. Universal Design Handbook, 2nd Edition. Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill, 2010.
• Osborne H, “In Other Words…Communicating Across a Life Span…Universal Design in Print and Web-based Communication, On Call magazine, January 2001. Available at http://healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3812
• World Wide Web Accessibility Initiative, http://www.w3.org/WAI/

Click here for a transcript of this podcast.

Karen Baker is Senior Vice President for Consumer Experience at Healthwise–a non-profit health communications company based in Boise, Idaho. As a team, Healthwise developed an interactive multimedia educational series called “Conversations.”

“Conversation on Dealing With Low Back Pain” recently received a top award for outstanding communication from the Center for Plain Language. Baker talks about the process that Healthwise used to develop, test, and implement this interactive, innovative educational tool.

Topics include:

• How interactive multimedia can help people learn about their health.
• Communicating important messages with metaphors, characterization, graphics, humor, and other creative strategies.
• Working as a team to create, test, and implement innovative projects.
• Lessons learned that listeners can use in day-to-day practice.

More Ways to Learn:

• To see the Healthwise(R) Ix(R) Conversation on Dealing with Low Back Pain, go to http://www.healthwise.org/backconversation/
• To learn about Healthwise, go to http://www.healthwise.org
• To see information about the Center for Plain Language, go to http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org/index.html. To read its list of ClearMark and WonderMark award winners, go to http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/index.html

Linda Burhansstipanov MSPH, DrPH (or as many people say, “Linda B”) is of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She has worked in public health for many years, taught at several universities, and is involved with a lot of research including the NIH funded projects, “Native American Cancer Education for Survivors” and “Native Navigators and the Cancer Continuum.”

Linda B created and oversees the Native American Cancer Research website which is used not only by Native Americans but also by people from around the world. Linda is the author of nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and advises many healthcare organizations about issues affecting Native Americans.

In this podcast, Linda B talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Native American concerns related to health and cancer
• Communication strategies including stories, metaphors, and pictures
• Creating a website with a strong cultural identity
• Lessons learned that health communicators can use with all audiences

More Ways to Learn:

• You can email Linda B at LindaB@natamcancer.net. But please know that it may take her a few days to reply as she may be in areas with no Internet connection.
• Native American Cancer Research Website, available at www.natamcancer.org

Rick Siegrist is the CEO of Press Ganey – a worldwide company that helps more than 10,000 healthcare organizations measure and improve the quality of their care. For many years, Press Ganey learned about the patient experience mostly through satisfaction surveys. Now it is learning even more by analyzing the sentiments (comments) that patients write on these surveys.

Looking at satisfaction data along with patients’ sentiments is proving to be an effective way of understanding many aspects of the patient’s experience, including health communication.

In this podcast, Rick Siegrist talks about:

• Using satisfaction surveys to learn about and improve healthcare quality.
• Analyzing sentiments – a way to translate human emotion into hard data.
• Bridging sentiments, satisfaction and health communication in your practice.

More Ways to Learn:

• Press Ganey: Partners In Improvement, at http://pressganey.com
• “Mining the Web for Feelings, Not Facts” by Alex Wright, New York Times, August 23, 2009. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/technology/internet/24emotion.html

Laurie Martin, ScD MPH is a policy researcher with the RAND Corporation. Her interests focus on understanding the role of health literacy from both an individual and community perspective. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Martin and colleagues developed an interactive mapping tool that identifies health literacy “hot spots” — geographic areas of suboptimal health or healthcare that may be due to low health literacy.

A prototype is being used in Missouri. The goal is to expand nationwide, providing tools that researchers and practitioners can use to target health literacy interventions in ways that are efficient and cost-effective. In this podcast, Dr. Martin talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Health literacy from a population perspective. How this differs from an individual perspective.
• Using a predictive model to estimate and map community-level health literacy.
• Lessons learned to apply on a population level, individual level, and community level.

More ways to learn:

• To learn more about mapping health literacy, contact Laurie Martin directly at Laurie_Martin@rand.org
• A Prototype Interactive Mapping Tool to Target Low Health Literacy in Missouri available at: http://www.rand.org/health/projects/missouri-health-literacy/
• Laurie N, Martin LT, et al.  (2010) Estimating and Mapping Health Literacy in the State of Missouri available at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR735/
• Martin et al. (2009) Developing Predictive Models of Health Literacy. Journal of General Internal Medicine, Vol. 24, No. 11, 2009
• National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Available at http://www.health.gov/communication/HLActionPlan/
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #39 “National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy,” an audio interview with Dr. Cynthia Baur. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2010/06/08/hlol-39-national-action-plan-to-improve-health-literacy/
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #30, “Making a Business Case to Move Health Literacy Forward,” an audio interview with David Walsh. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2010/01/05/hlol-30-making-a%C2%A0business-case-to-move%C2%A0health-literacy%C2%A0forward/

John Comings EdD is Principal International Technical Advisor at the Education Development Center in Newton, MA. Prior to this, he was Director of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) and a member of the faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Comings’s research and writing focuses on the impact of adult literacy programs and factors that predict persistence of adult education students in the U.S. and Third World countries. In this podcast, he talks with Helen Osborne about:

• The literacy part of health literacy, including components of reading skills
• The health part of health literacy, including functional skills within health contexts
• Practical literacy strategies that health professionals can use today
• Ways the health system can collaborate with the adult literacy system

More Ways to Learn:

• You can reach John Comings directly by email at john.comings@gmail.com
• U.S. Federal government’s Division of Adult Education and Literacy: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/index.html
• To locate the state office of adult education: http://www.naepdc.org/Members/members_home.html
• In Canada, National Adult Literacy Database: www.nald.ca
• National Assessment of Adult Literacy: http://nces.ed.gov/naal/
• NCSALL’s research: www.ncsall.net
• National Institute for Literacy www.nifl.gov

Mark Gibson MA is a Consumer Information Specialist based in Leeds, England. He is a linguist, translator, and journalist who now focuses on readability testing and information design. Building on his research in patient communication, Mark designs information that is appropriate for diverse audiences – including those with limited English proficiency, low literacy skills, and sight loss.

In this podcast he compares and contrasts ways to assess readability in the European Union (EU) and the United States. Topics include:

• Assessing readability: How does the system used in the EU compare to that in the United States?
• EU process of assessing readability: What works well and what does not?
• Lessons learned and resources that listeners can use right away.

More Ways to Learn:

• Mark Gibson’s business is RiW Design Ltd, www.riw-design.com You can contact him directly by email at mark@gibsonrs.eu
• Gibson M, Hochhauser M. “Readability Testing: European Performance vs USA Formulas,” SoCRA Source: A Publication of the Society of Clinical Research Associates. May 2010:69-71.
• Sless D, Wiseman R. Writing About Medicines for People. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1997
• Guideline on the Readability of the Labelling and Package Leaflet of Medicinal Products for Human Use, European Medicines Agency, Revision 1, 12 January 2009. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/pharmaceuticals/files/eudralex/vol-2/c/2009_01_12_readability_guideline_final_en.pdf [last accessed 09Jun2010]

Cynthia Baur, Ph.D., is the Senior Advisor for Health Literacy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She co-chairs several federal health literacy initiatives, including the workgroup for Healthy People 2020 Health Communication and Health Information Technology.

Dr. Baur is the lead author for the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and helped develop CDC’s online health literacy training for health professionals. In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about the National Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Topics include:

• How the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy was developed with input from researchers, practitioners, and community members.
• Ways individuals and organizations can use this health literacy action plan.
• A national and international perspective about health literacy.

More Ways to Learn:

• National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Available at http://www.health.gov/communication/HLActionPlan/
• Proceedings of the Surgeon General’s Workshop on Improving Health Literacy. Available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/healthliteracy/toc.html
• Healthy People 2010 & 2020. Available at http://www.healthypeople.gov/
• CDC: Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals (Web-based). Available at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline/registration/detailpage.asp?res_id=2074
• HRSA: Health Literacy Free Online Course. Available at http://www.hrsa.gov/healthliteracy/default.htm
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #17: Dr. Arthur Culbert Talks About Statewide Health Literacy Initiatives. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2009/06/23/hlol-17-dr-arthur-culbert-talks-about-statewide-health-literacy-initiatives/
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #15: Dr. Rima Rudd Talks About the Health Literacy Burden in Healthcare. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2009/05/04/hlol-15-dr-rima-rudd-talks-about-the-health-literacy-burden-in-healthcare/

Andrea J. Apter, MD, MA, MSc is a practicing physician and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her specialty is treating patients diagnosed with asthma. Before she was a doctor, Apter was a math teacher who worked with students from 6th grade on.

Both as a doctor and as a teacher, Apter knows the challenges of communicating numeric concepts in health education. To help, she along with collaborators, have proposed a model to make this task easier for all.

In this podcast, Dr. Apter talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Why numeracy matters in healthcare and preventive medicine.
• Strategies to improve understanding that givers and receivers of health information can use today.
• Thoughts about long-term solutions & need for health numeracy research.

More ways to learn:

• Apter AJ et al (2008), “Numeracy and Communication with Patients: They Are Counting on Us,” Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(12):2117-24.
• Apter AJ et al (2009), “Linking numeracy and asthma-related quality of life,” Patient Education and Counseling 75: 386-391.
• Apter AJ et al (2006), “Asthma Numeracy Skill and Health Literacy,” Journal of Asthma, 43:705-710.
• Golbeck AL, Ahlers-Schmidt CR, Paschal AM, and Dismuke SE (2005), “A Definition and Operational Framework for Health Numeracy,” American Journal of Preventative Medicine 29(4):375-376.
• Osborne H, (2007) “In Other Words…Health Numeracy: How Do Patients Handle the Concept of Quantity When It Relates to Their Health?” On Call Magazine, http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=6509
• Osborne H, (2004) “In Other Words…Working With Numbers,” On Call Magazine, http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3745
• Osborne H, (2004) Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett. http://www.jblearning.com/catalog/0763745502

Click here for a transcript of this episode: (more…)

Wendy Welch PhD is a folklorist and storyteller. She is on the faculty of the Healthy Appalachia Institute and teaches Cultural Studies at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Wendy has served on the Board of Directors for the US National Storytelling Network and was on the National Storytelling Board in the UK.

Beyond these many professional achievements, Wendy co-owns a used bookstore, tours as storytelling performer and instructor, and is an accomplished craftswoman. In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about using folktales, personal stories, fairy tales, and urban legends as tools for healing. Topics include:

• Using folktales with people of all ages, abilities, and cultures.
• Using folktales to motivate behavior change.
• Using folktales in community based participatory research.
• Using folktales in your practice and getting more involved with research.

More ways to learn:

• Wendy Welch welcomes hearing your story about using folktales as tools for healing. You can email Wendy directly at wow6n@uvawise.edu
• Healthy Appalachia Institute, http://www.uvawise.edu/health
• National Storytelling Network, http://www.storynet.org
• Osborne, H “In other words…Tools of change: Telling and listening to stories,” On Call magazine, October 16, 2008. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=8051
• Pantheon and Dolch are publishing houses that do and did (respectively) collections of fairy tales and multicultural folktales. Welch advises that if you find collections from either publisher (at a second-hand bookstore, perhaps) then you can rest assured they will be good.

Izzy Gesell M.ED, CSP knows a lot about the healing power of humor and play. With degrees in psychology and education, Izzy brings energy and joy to all he does – whether he’s working as a special education teacher, a stand-up comic, or an organizational consultant.

Izzy not only is funny in his own right but also teaches others how to use humor and play. He is the author of numerous publications including Playing Along: Group Learning Activities Borrowed From Improvisation Theater and Cancer and the Healing Power of Play.

In this podcast, Izzy talks with Helen Osborne about:

• How humor & play can add positive energy, build bridges, and create bonds.
• Knowing when, and when not, to use humor in health communication.
• Being humorous, even when you think you’re not funny.

More Ways to Learn:

• To contact Izzy Gesell and access his many resources, go to Izzy’s website at www.izzyg.com
• Osborne, H. “In Other Words…Adding A Dose of Humor to Your Patient Teaching,” On Call Magazine, July/August 2003. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3797
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #5: Jan Potter Talks about Using Humor & Graphics to Convey Health Information. Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2008/11/17/jan-potter-talks-about-using-humor-graphics-to-convey-health-information/
• Martin, Steve (2007). Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. Available in print and as an audio book.

Donald Rubin, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Speech Communication, of Language & Literacy Education, and of Linguistics at the University of Georgia. He is also senior researcher at that institution’s Center for Health and Risk Communication.

Much of Dr. Rubin’s work focuses on assessment, training, and analysis of oral communication, including listenability. His current research looks at 1) health literacy and health communication message design, 2) public health workforce development in communication to reduce health disparities, and 3) assessment of language proficiency among non-native speakers of English.

In this podcast, Dr. Rubin talks with Helen Osborne about:

• Interactive health literacy. How do written and spoken communication differ?
• The communication environment. How physical and linguistic aspects affect communication.
• Older adults. A research study about their distinct communication needs.
• Practical strategies. How all health professionals can invite patients/consumers to participate verbally in their health care encounters.

More ways to learn:

• You can email Dr. Rubin directly at drubin@uga.edu
• Check out work on interactive health literacy being conducted at the University of Georgia’s Center for Health and Risk Communication. See especially http://www.chrc.uga.edu/research/healthliteracy.html
• Rubin, D.L. (2008, September). “Readability is Just for Starters in Health Literacy.” Newsletter of the National Public Health Information Coalition, Volume 19, No. 5, p. 4. Available at http://www.nphic.org/news/newsletters.html?start=5
• Rubin, D.L., Hafer, T., & Arata, K.  (2000).  “Reading and Listening to Oral-Based Versus Literate-Based Discourse.” Communication Education, Volume 49, 121-134.
• Osborne, H. “Communicating When Naked: My Perspective as a Patient.” On Call magazine, May/June 2006. Available at http://www.healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=4221
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “Quick Tips—When Talking With Your Doctor.”  Available at http://www.ahrq.gov/CONSUMER/quicktips/doctalk.htm
• American Association of Retired Persons. “How to Talk to Your Doctor.” Available at http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/prevention/a2003-03-13-talkdr.html

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Stacy Robison MPH, CHES is co-founder of CommunicateHealth — a consulting company based in Northampton, Massachusetts. As a certified health educator, Stacy uses plain language to meet the learning needs of audiences with limited health literacy skills.

For the past three years, Stacy has been writing and designing health content for Quick Guide to Healthy Living — part of the award-winning healthfinder.gov Web site from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. This site has been tested and developed with close to 800 Web users, most of whom have limited health literacy skills.

In this podcast, Stacy Robison talks with Helen Osborne about:

• How people with limited literacy skills, health literacy skills, or limited time use online health information.
• What is different when communicating about wellness and prevention (health promotion) v. communicating about diagnosis and treatment (health care).
• Ways to design health content so that Web users can, and will, take action.

More ways to learn:

• CommunicateHealth, at www.communicatehealth.com. You can email Stacy Robison at stacy@communicatehealth.com
• Health Literacy Online, from ODPHP (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, available at http://www.health.gov/healthliteracyonline
• Quick Guide to Healthy Living, at www.healthfinder.gov/prevention.
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #19: “Communicating Clearly on the Web.” An audio interview with Ginny Redish, at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2009/08/03/hlol-19-communicating-clearly-on-the-web/
• “Health Literacy Online: Building an Easy-To-Use Health Information Web Site,” a Health Literacy Month story posted October 20, 2009. At http://healthliteracymonth.org/hlm_article.asp?PageID=9167
• Osborne, H. “In other words…What Makes Web Sites Patient-Friendly? On Call magazine, July 2005. At http://healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=3803

Click here to read a transcript of this episode: (more…)

Lee Aase is manager of Syndication and Social Media for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. There, he works with a team to develop medical news for the mainstream media. He also uses social media to create in-depth and extended relationships with key stakeholders.

When not working at his “day job,” Lee is the Chancellor of Social Media University Global (SMUG) — a free online resource he created to provide practical, hands-on training in social media for lifelong learners. In all situations, Lee makes it his personal mission is to help people get comfortable with social media.

In this podcast, Lee Aase talks with Helen Osborne about:

• “Social media pyramid” of: Twitter and micro-blogs; Facebook and other networking sites; Web audio (podcasts) and video (YouTube); Blogs.
• How newcomers can get started and why they should.
• Examples of using social media to communicate about health.

Ways to learn more:

• You can email Lee Aase directly at Aase.lee@mayo.edu
• Mayo Clinic News Blog at http://newsblog.mayoclinic.org/
• Sharing Mayo Clinic, http://sharing.mayoclinic.org/
• SMUG at http://social-media-university-global.org
• Osborne, H. “In Other Words…Using Text Messages to Improve Medication Adherence,” http://healthliteracy.com/article.asp?PageID=7987
• Follow Lee and Helen on www.Twitter.com : @LeeAase, @HelenOsborne, and @HealthLitMonth.

Michele Berman, MD is a pediatrician who has practiced in hospitals and pediatric centers across the United States. She also has authored numerous articles, many of them about the practical side of parenting.  But now Dr. Berman is taking on a new role as Managing Partner and Chief Medical Officer of the website, Celebrity Diagnosis.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about ways to make the most of teachable moments and use celebrity news to teach about health.

Topics include:

• How “teachable moments” provide context for new learning
• Why and how this website connects celebrity with health
• Lessons learned that all health communicators can apply

More Ways to Learn:

• CelebrityDiagnosis.com, http://celebritydiagnosis.com/
• ResoundingHealth.com, http://www.resoundinghealth.com/home/index
• Lawson, P. J. & Flocke, S. A. “Teachable moments for health behavior change: a concept analysis” (2009). Patient Educ Couns 76:25-30. http://cli.gs/dd2DmQ

Linda Neuhauser, DrPH, is Clinical Professor of Community Health and Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. Her work focuses on translating research into improved health interventions and mass communication. Dr. Neuhauser is especially interested in participatory approaches that meet the literacy, linguistic, and cultural needs of diverse audiences. She is Co-Principal Investigator of the UC Berkeley Health Research for Action Center that uses participatory design to create, implement and evaluate communication initiatives that have now reached over 30 million people.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about participatory and user-centered approaches to health communication.

Topics include:

• Communication challenges for both givers and receivers of information
• A structured approach to participatory, user-centered design
• Overcoming objections of limited time, money, or other resources

More Ways to Learn:

• Neuhauser L, Rothschild R, Graham C, et al. “Participatory Design of Mass Health Communication in Three Languages for Seniors and People With Disabilities on Medicaid,” American Journal of Public Health. 2009;99 (12).
• Neuhauser L, Constantine WI, Constantine NA, et al. “Promoting Prenatal and Early Childhood Health: Evaluation of a Statewide Materials-based intervention for Parents. American Journal of Public Health. 2007;97(10):1813-1819.
• Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast #13: Len & Ceci Doak Discuss Health Literacy’s Past, Present, and Future (includes a discussion of the SAM materials assessment tool), Available at http://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/2009/03/23/hlol-13-len-ceci-doak-discuss-health-literacy’s-past-present-and-future/

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David Walsh is a principal in the consulting firm, SmartLaunch based in Havertown, PA. With expertise in strategic and business planning, marketing and financial management, Walsh helps non-profit and for-profit businesses manage change, maximize opportunities, and launch new ventures.

Walsh recently helped develop a business case for Health Literacy Missouri and worked to launch them as a new, independent non-profit business entity. In this podcast, he talks with Helen Osborne about the importance of using proven business principles to move health literacy forward. Topics include:

• Knowing why you need to make a business case for health literacy
• Using the language of business (key terms and acronyms)
• Creating a workable and measurable business plan
• Understanding business drivers, goals, and the importance of focus

More Ways to Learn:

• David Walsh is a principal at SmartLaunch, in Havertown PA. You can reach him by email at dwalsh@smart-launch.com or phone at 267-438-6015
• Health Literacy Missouri, at www.healthliteracymissouri.org
• Good to Great – Lessons for the Social Sector; http://www.bridgespan.org/LearningCenter/ResourceDetail.aspx?id=624
• LaSalle University: Guide for Non-Profits, http://www.lasallenonprofitcenter.org/p-79-Guide%20for%20Nonprofit%20Organizations

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Karen Schriver, PhD is President of KSA Communication Design and Research, a consultancy located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is former professor of rhetoric and information design at Carnegie Mellon University where she co-directed the graduate programs in professional writing and information design.

Dr. Schriver’s first book, Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers—now in its 9th printing—is regarded as an essential text in its field. Winner of ten national awards for her work, Schriver is writing two new books: the first on developing expertise in information design, and the second on visual and verbal design moves to engage readers online.

In this podcast, she talks with Helen Osborne about using good information design to get readers to read, and keep reading. Topics include:

• Using good information design to help readers feel valued and respected
• Being a visual detective, observing what works and what doesn’t
• Engaging readers with contrast, consistency, grouping, and other design moves

More Ways to Learn:

• You can reach Karen by email at kschriver@earthlink.net
• Schriver KA, Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers (1997). John Wiley & Sons: New York, NY.  Available at http://www.amazon.com/Dynamics-Document-Design-Creating-Readers/dp/0471306363
• Info Design Patterns, at http://interface.fh-potsdam.de/infodesignpatterns/news.php
• Info Design: Understanding by Design, at http://www.informationdesign.org/
• Info Understanding by Design, an Interview with Karen A. Schriver, http://www.informationdesign.org/special/schriver_interview.php
• Tactical Technology Collective, at http://www.tacticaltech.org/infodesign

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