OAPP Grand Rounds - Health Literacy and Strategies for Clear Patient Communication (WISER)

The primary issues identified revolve around health literacy, which impacts both individual patient outcomes and the broader healthcare team's effectiveness. At the individual level, there's a clear gap in patients' understanding of their health conditions and the health information communicated to them. This lack of health literacy leads to poor decision-making regarding their health, as they often seek and act upon misinformation outside the structured healthcare environment. For the healthcare team, the challenge is to enhance their ability to communicate clearly and effectively, ensuring that patients understand their health conditions, the necessary interventions, and the implications of their health decisions.

Addressing these issues through the proposed educational activity will significantly benefit the interprofessional healthcare team by equipping them with the skills to improve communication with patients. This improvement is expected to lead to better patient understanding, compliance, and health outcomes. By focusing on enhancing health literacy through clearer communication, the entire healthcare team, including those in nursing and physician assistant roles, will be better positioned to work collaboratively. This collaborative effort will support a more cohesive approach to patient care, where all members are adept at addressing the varied informational needs of patients, thereby improving the overall quality of healthcare services.

Target Audience

  • Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNPs)
  • Physician Assistants (PAs)

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Define health literacy and describe how it affects patient interactions and health outcomes.
  • Explain how patients may seek information outside of the healthcare system and how this can impact their health decision-making.
  • Identify communication strategies that you can use to improve patient understanding of health information..


Disclaimer Statement:

The information presented at this activity represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AAPA Category I CME
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
09/19/2024
Course expires: 
09/19/2027
WISER
United States

Planning Committee:

  • Aimee Smith, DPAS, MS, PA-C - Emergency Medicine, UPMC
  • Deborah W. Byrns, CRNP - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, UPMC

Course Directors:

  • Rose Turner, MLIS -  Assistant Director for Liaison Services, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh
  • Rebekah Miller, MLIS - Research & Instruction Librarian, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

No members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.  

In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Assistant (AAPA)

The University of Pittsburgh has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Nursing (CNE)

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hour.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AAPA Category I CME
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
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