Health Literacy Universal Precautions Approach

More than half of your patients do not have the level of health literacy they need to make well informed healthcare decisions and act on them.

Health literacy universal precautions approach. The health literate care model is an important tool that can help. Health literacy universal precautions are aimed at simplifying communication with and confirming comprehension for all patients so that the risk of miscommunication is minimized. Clinicians cannot tell by looking which patient is the one in ten who will have proficient literacy skills and hence should use the universal precaution approach to low health literacy by implementing strategies for clear communication with all patients.

Approach all patients as if they are at risk of not understanding health information. For example health care staff take universal precautions when they minimize the risk of spreading bloodborne disease by using gloves and proper disposal techniques. A universal precautions approach.

Supporting patients efforts to improve their. A key strategy to address health literacy is a universal precautions approach which recommends using health literate design for all health interventions not just those targeting people with low health literacy. If your patients do not understand the information and services you are providing then they may be at.

A health literacy universal precautions approach assumes that everyone may have difficulty understanding health information and accessing services. This approach has advantages. Universal precautions refers to taking specific actions that minimize risk for everyone when it is unclear which patients may be affected.

It weaves health literacy principles from the universal precautions toolkit into the widely adopted chronic care model and calls for health care providers to. A new approach to health literacy article in international journal of therapy and rehabilitation 22 9 406 407 september 2015 with 65 reads how we measure reads. This approach includes communicating clearly confirming understanding improving access for services and supporting patients with improving their health.

A universal precautions approach means treating all patients as if they are at risk of not understanding health information. Health literacy 2 0 a hybrid approach to addressing health literacy in health systems integrates universal precautions with targeted assistance for patients with lower health literacy levels. Health literacy assessment and tailoring are not required.