Description:
This program is developing new, easy-to-read education resources for cancer patients and the providers who serve them. Currently, radiation therapy and chemotherapy resources are being developed in audio and print (4th - 6th grade reading level) formats.
Background:
Limited literacy is a large problem for millions of people-research shows that nearly half (47%) of American adults-90 million people have difficulty understanding and acting upon health information.
40-44 million adults in the U.S. are functionally illiterate.
50 million are only marginally literate.
Adults with limited health literacy have less knowledge of disease management and of health-promoting behaviors, report poorer health status, and have higher rates of hospitalization.
Limited health literacy is often unreported by the patient, unappreciated by policy makers and health care workers, and unappreciated by the general public.
Without improvements in health literacy, the promise of many scientific advances to improve health outcomes will be diminished.
Education Resources:
These easy-to-read, one-page handouts are being designed to:
1) enable patients to understand their treatment, manage related side effects, and talk with their provider and family
2) assist health care providers help their patients to understand key treatment and participate in self-care
Partnering Opportunities:
There are current opportunities for both providers and patients to participate in the pilot testing for these print and audio resources.
