Blog posts tagged with 'health care literacy'

I was getting on an airplane the other day and was following two young women down the isle of the plane. One woman held an infant and the other their tickets. They had stopped and spoken briefly to the flight attendant upon their entrance to the plane and seems for some reason to be struggling to find their seats. One of the moms turned to me and asked me where they were suppose to sit. The young mom was standing at row 12 and showed me a ticket for seats 12 D,E and F. At first I was a little confused. But then it all became clear. Both moms were illiterate.

Conversation is one of the most fundamental tools we use each and every day, to guide us in our lives. We gain and relay knowledge through conversation. We share our life's experiences, whether happy or sad. Simply put, conversation is what guides us through our lives. In medicine, the conversation between a patient and their doctor can be a life changing experience. A good patient will be a good listener and will interact, asking questions to insure they understand the plan for their health care.

When I speak about health care literacy and refer to 'the conversation', what exactly do I mean? The conversation is the discussion that takes place between a health care worker and a patient. A health care worker may be a nurse, a doctor, a receptionist at a doctor's office or a therapist.

When was the last time that you were in the presence of someone who listened? I mean really listened. They looked you in the eye and thought about what you said. They asked you questions. Maybe they even laughed a bit with you. They shared a joke or a personal anecdote from their life that related to the point you were trying to make.