Tag Archive for: access

There are two kinds of health literacy: personal health literacy and organizational health literacy. Personal health literacy describes the extent to which people have the capacity to locate, comprehend, and apply information and/or services that they have obtained to make informed health decisions and actions for themselves and others. Organizational health literacy is the extent to which organizations and associations equip individuals with what is necessary to draw conclusions and inferences that enhance their understanding and enable them to make informed health decisions and act for themselves and others.

Why is Health Literacy Important?

Health literacy is instrumental in influencing health disparities because it can serve as an essential barrier or bridge to comprehension of health education material. An impactful determinant of health, a person’s health literacy is more likely to accurately predict their behaviors when compared with economic status, age, or ethnic background. Health literacy also has a substantial effect on an individual’s health: those who lack health literacy are twice as likely to be hospitalized as those who possess satisfactory levels of health literacy. The most common cause for this could be: misinterpretation of information or incorrect dosage of self-administered medication or treatments. 

Those who lack health literacy may be ashamed and/or hesitant to open up about this issue with their healthcare providers for fear of judgment, and this may hinder their trust in the healthcare industry. This in turn may be pernicious towards their overall well-being.

How Can We Account for This When Developing Educational Materials?

There are an abundance of ways to make accommodations in health resources in order to account for differences in health literacy.

  • Use Plain Language
      • Avoid technical slang or jargon
        • If technical terms are used, be sure to define them in lay language and contextualize it so that the intended audience understands how and when it is utilized.
      • If the health resource is an article, include a plain language summary (this is something that the database Cochrane practices), a glossary of terms and words with phonetic pronunciation guides, and at least one example of how the term or phrase is used.
  • Be Aware of Appropriate Phrasing and Preferred Communication
      • Be sure to provide materials in the languages that are most often spoken in your area, and to interact with reliable translators to verify that the facts are coming across correctly and fully in all languages.
        • Brochures, forms, and other materials at health education events can be available in multiple languages
        • It is important to be aware of perception of words used in verbal and written communication
          • For instance, avoid the qualifier “disorders” when discussing mental health or the term “co-morbidities”, since they carry negative connotations. Instead, opt for terms such as “mental health conditions”, and “co-occurrences”. 
        • Identity-first vs person-first
          • Identity-first language puts a person’s condition before the person, and person-first language puts the person before their condition.
            • Preferences depend on the community, so it is important to consult a variety of sources and be receptive to your audience(s) and their input.
  • Visual Supplements for Written Materials 
    • Infographics
      • Can provide helpful imagery to highlight main ideas of the research
      • Assists people who may have trouble imagining what the text is conveying
    • Text, Font, and Contrast
      • Large text can be helpful for people with visual impairments
      • Fonts should be clear and legible
      • Colors, hues, or both for background and text should contrast in a way that does not obscure the information

Just as zip code is a salient social determinant of health, health literacy serves as an important indicator of potential health behaviors and outcomes. Being able to consume, understand, and disseminate health information will help people and those they care about immensely in that the decisions made and actions taken will be more robustly supported and informed. 

Reach out to us at info@coloncancerfoundation.org if you would like to collaborate and create accessible health materials pertaining to colorectal cancer, prevention, or another related topic!

 

Vanessa Seidner is a Colorectal Cancer Prevention Intern with the Colon Cancer Foundation.

Photo credit: Alexander Grey on Unsplash.

By the ASCENDS team, University of Alabama at Birmingham

In the dynamic realm of cancer treatment, one persistent challenge demands our attention: the accessibility of care is far from straightforward.

Factors such as geographical location, income, employment status, and demographics can significantly influence the quality of care received. It’s high time we reshape this narrative, particularly for those colon cancer patients who face barriers to optimal cancer care.

And here’s the exciting part – you can be a driving force behind this transformation by simply sharing your story.

ASCENDS, an acronym for Advancing Surgical Care and Equity in the Deep South, is an initiative designed to revolutionize cancer care, especially for individuals in rural and minority communities who live in the states of Mississippi and Alabama.

ASCENDS is led by Dr. Maria Pisu and Dr. Daniel Chu, is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and is based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

How Can You Participate?

If you reside, or were treated, in the states of Mississippi or Alabama, we invite you to share your name and contact information. A member of the ASCENDS team will reach out to you for a one-time phone survey. And if you weren’t treated in these states but know someone who was, please consider sharing this opportunity!

ASCENDS is eager to hear about your experiences, triumphs, and even the challenges you’ve encountered. Why?

Because your voice can stir conversations, instigate change, and construct bridges within the landscape of cancer care. Your stories can influence policies, shape healthcare practices, and bridge long-standing gaps in the delivery of care.

 

There is also a little extra incentive – participants in the survey will be compensated for their time!

While the results of the study will drive the direction of the implementation, your results will be compiled into a plan of care recommendation that will be shared with healthcare providers in the deep South. Participants will be able to receive the study results once they are compiled. All personal information will be excluded.

Curious to Learn More?

Visit our website or connect with us on Facebook. Let’s work together to make a lasting impact on the world of cancer care!

 

This was an invited commentary from the ASCENDS team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Photo credit: Tumisu on Pixabay.

Early-stage colon cancer is treatable and has a very promising survival rate. However, less than 40% of new colon cancer diagnoses are early-stage disease. Now, a new study has identified an association of distance, region, and insurance coverage with advanced colon cancer at initial diagnosis. Utilizing the Nation Cancer Database, patients 18 years or older diagnosed with colon cancer as a primary diagnosis between 2010 and 2017 were compared in terms of distance to their medical facility, region of residence, and insurance coverage. 

The study found that patients at an increased risk of advanced pathologic disease:

  • Traveled a greater distance to their medical facility
  • Lived in the Northeast, Mountain, or Central regions of the United States
  • Only had Medicaid or did not have insurance coverage

 

Sahar Alam is a Colorectal Cancer Prevention Intern with the Colon Cancer Foundation.