Culture, Language and Effective Health Care Communications Examined at Fourth Annual Health Literacy Conference.

LA HABRA, Calif. -- Among the many barriers to healthcare is effective communication. One major hurdle both patients and providers face is overcoming differences in culture and language. No matter how clearly a provider may think he or she is speaking to a patient, if the words and concepts are too difficult to understand, or are not culturally appropriate, the heart of the message will not be understood. To provide hands-on solutions to these issues, the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA), a non-profit organization that provides a wide variety of educational and community healthcare services, hosts its fourth annual health literacy conference on May 5th and 6th at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, Calif.

The theme of this year's event is Culture, Language and Clinical Issues: Operational Solutions to Low Health Literacy. The conference brings together some of the nation's foremost authorities on the subject of health literacy for a critical review of the most innovative and effective solutions to improve health literacy in the U.S. This year's conference focuses on how culture and language affect healthcare communication.

The conference kicks off with a Wednesday evening workshop, "Health Literacy 101," on May 4th. This session, hosted by Gloria Mayer, R.N., Ed.D., president of IHA will provide an overview of the scope of low health literacy, including its general characteristics and frequency among the general population, the cost of poor health literacy, abilities and challenges of people with low health literacy, and an overview of strategies for making individual and system-based improvements to address this national problem.

On Day One of the conference (May 5th), attendees will hear nationally renowned researchers, clinicians, and educators speaking on such topics as:

--"Health Literacy: The Hidden Risk Factor" (Barry D. Weiss, M.D., University of Arizona College of Medicine) - A review of the state of health literacy in the U.S. population, the ramifications of limited health literacy and ways in which the health care system might be made more "user friendly" for those with limited health literacy;

--"Providers from Other Lands: Communication Challenges and Opportunities" (Janet Ohene-Frempong, M.S., Frempong & Associates) - An exploration of the kinds of misunderstandings that arise as a result of provider diversity and a discussion of specific ways to minimize miscommunication with patients; and

--"It Takes Ten Years: The Journey of Research Into Practice, Low Health Literacy 1995-2005" (Joanne Schwartzberg, M.D., American Medical Association Foundation) - A report about the four phases to the 10-year effort of the American Medical Association's national health literacy education program to create change in clinical practice.

On Day Two of the conference (May 6th), highlights of the agenda include presentations such as the following:

--"Cancer, Culture and Literacy" (Cathy D. Meade, Ph.D., R.N., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute) - An address regarding the need for increased research dissemination in culturally, linguistically and literacy-relevant cancer communication strategies;

--"Assumptions, Demands and Skills: Health Literacy in Clinical Settings" (Rima E. Rudd, Sc.D., Harvard School of Public Health) - A deconstruction of a clinical encounter with attention to the literacy-related demands made on patients and their clinicians, as well as a discussion of the skills needed to carry through with necessary clinical tasks; and

--"Panel Discussion: Questions and Answers in Health Literacy" (moderated by Dr. Rudd and Dr. Schwartzberg) - A conference-ending discussion featuring expert commentary from some of the leading thinkers in the U.S. on the subject of health literacy.

The conference is designed for professionals working in healthcare or health literacy, as well as individuals with an interest in literacy as it relates to healthcare challenges. Each attendee will receive a free copy of each of the five books in the IHA's award-winning "What To Do For Health" series of self-help health books designed to promote health literacy.

"The 2005 conference should be our best one yet, with a number of exciting plenary sessions on topics of interest to the healthcare and literacy communities, as well as breakout sessions featuring interactive, hands-on and skill building sessions," said Dr. Mayer.

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing healthcare delivery through demonstration of innovative healthcare practices and education of healthcare professionals and consumers. The Institute provides healthcare information with particular emphasis on and attention to health literacy issues. It publishes the "What To Do For Health" book series, all written at a 3rd to 5th grade reading level, and available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It also operates the Friends of Children Health Center, a model community medical and dental clinics providing low cost care for needy and uninsured youngsters in La Habra, Calif., and administers the La Habra Family Resource Center.

The IHA is headquartered at 501 S. Idaho St., Suite 300, La Habra, Calif. 90631; 1-800-434-4633. For more information, go to the Institute's Web site at www.iha4health.org.