John Santa MD, MPH is Director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center. For many years, he worked as a primary care physician, healthcare executive, researcher, and policy maker. Now Dr. Santa and others work to evaluate and compare health services, products and practitioners based on current, robust, and independent sources of information.
In this podcast, Dr. Santa and Helen Osborne talk about:
- Consumer Reports: How it helps consumers make purchasing decisions.
- Why it is important for individuals to understand health ratings.
- How Consumer Reports uses symbols, summaries, and narratives.
- Strategies and resources for listeners to use in day-to-day practice.
More Ways to Learn:
- Consumer Reports, at http://www.consumerreports.org
- Consumer Reports Health Ratings. At http://www.consumerreports.org/health/home.htm
- Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs. At http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/index.htm
- “Can you read this drug label?” (Consumer Reports video), at http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/prescription-labels/overview/index.htm
- Consumer Union: Safe Patient Project. At http://Safepatientproject.org/
- Health Literacy Out Loud #47: Legislation Giving Voice to Patients and Families. At http://healthliteracy.com/hlol-legislation
Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Second Edition (Updated 2018), by Helen Osborne. Relevant chapters include: 4, 9, 11, 13, 38.
Read a written transcript of this podcast.
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