Seventh Biennial Wisconsin Health Literacy Summit: A Critical Link in Patient Engagement

Wisconsin Literacy, Inc., Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Almost 9 out of 10 American adults have significant difficulty using everyday health information. This is compounded in this health care environment in which populations at risk for low health literacy must take a greater role in making health care and health insurance decisions that affect their future health and well-being. To achieve the best outcomes, patients must be more engaged in their care. The Wisconsin Health Literacy Summit, Health Literacy: A Critical Link in Patient Engagement, will address this issue by disseminating evidence-based information to 325 adult literacy educators, health care providers, public health staff and a variety of other professionals, with an emphasis on presenting research, health literacy tools and project interventions for improved communication and effective delivery of health care addressed within the field of health literacy. Presentations will emphasize new and tested strategies to improve patient engagement in healthcare encounters. The meeting will enable unique learning and networking opportunities that build upon the assets of various perspectives, from academic research to medical practice to adult education. Using the methods of six previous successful summits, we will target invitations to specific groups including nurses, physicians, public health professionals, pharmacists, health insurers and literacy educators, and invite national, regional and local speakers to communicate health literacy policy recommendations, research findings, evidence-based information, tools, and adult education interventions. We will address the following specific aims: 1. Convene a preconference forum on patient-centered medication labeling research and initiatives to facilitate further adoption; 2. Engage speakers to address new health literacy research and projects with respect to implementation, evaluation and measurement; 3. Disseminate evidence-based health literacy practices and interventions that lead to improved communication, better outcomes, and greater patient engagement; 4. Provide conference scholarships to attract a national and regional High Impact, Limited Resources (HILR) audience including adult literacy educators, public health staff, parish nurses and free clinic administrators to share and learn about effective communication for AHRQ targeted populations; 5. Reinforce the importance of health literacy in patient engagement through research and sharing of successful interventions for vulnerable populations.