Senior Whole Health to promote "Ask Me 3" healthcare literacy initiative in six upstate counties:
Program Encourages Seniors to Ask Health Care Providers Three Key Questions in Every Interaction;
Informational Presentations Slated for Senior Centers, Community Centers and Elderly Residential Buildings
ALBANY, NY (March 23, 2009) — According to recent government studies, more than 89 million American adults have low or limited health literacy skills, meaning they struggle to read, understand and act on health information.
Over the past decade, this problem, which affects people of all ages, groups, income and education levels and especially the elderly, has cost the United States tens of billions of dollars — a figure that is likely to climb as patients take an ever-increasing array of medications and are asked to undertake more complicated self-care regimens.
In an effort to improve health outcomes and foster clearer communication between health care providers and elderly patients living in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga, Dutchess and Ulster counties, Senior Whole Health of New York (SWH) has teamed together with the Partnership for Clear Health to offer free, informational presentations to seniors based around the “Ask Me 3” patient education program.
A nationwide initiative, Ask Me 3 encourages patients to ask their providers three simple, yet essential questions in every health care interaction: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? And why is it important for me to do this?
“Patients should ask these questions to their doctors, pharmacists or nurses when preparing for a medical test, a procedure or when they get their prescriptions filled,” said SWH Director of Marketing and Branding Gabriel Martinez. “Posing the right questions will help them understand how to get better.
“Many people, even highly literate people, have trouble understanding words used in health care,” Martinez added. “In some instances, a word may be totally unfamiliar. In other cases, a word may be familiar, but the person may not understand it in a health care context.”
Health literacy includes the ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles, appointment slips and medical education brochures. It also includes understanding doctors’ directions, food labels and consent forms, as well as the ability to negotiate complex health care systems.
“Health literacy requires reading, listening and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to apply these skills to health situations,” Martinez explained. “By giving presentations at senior centers, community centers and elderly residential buildings, we plan to help seniors better understand and act on health information, which can lead to better health outcomes.
“Studies show that people who understand health instructions make fewer mistakes when they take their medicine or prepare for a medical procedure,” he continued. “They are also at less risk for unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency treatment and medication errors, and may also get well sooner or be able to better manage a chronic condition.”
The Partnership for Clear Health Communication is a coalition of national organizations working together to promote awareness and solutions around the issue of low health literacy in order to improve health outcomes.
Committee Members include the American Federation for Aging Research, American Medical Association Foundation, American Nurses Association, American Pharmacists Association, American Public Health Association, National Alliance for Caregiving, The National Council on the Aging, National Health Council and the National Medical Association.
For more information, or to set up a presentation, please call (518) 472-5200, or visit seniorwholehealth.com. Additional literacy resources, explanations of clear health communication techniques and examples of simple interventions can also be found at AskMe3.
Last modified: 09/15/2010