Health Literacy Awareness and Primary Care
09:30 – 13:00 on Wednesday 8th October 2014
Location: Huntingdon Library, Princes Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 3PA
Overall aims:
To illustrate how greater awareness of Health Literacy can result in workload reduction
and effective practice in Primary Care.
To explore the impact of health literacy on patients who use primary care services and
to reflect on what changes in practice and service design may be required.
Who Should Attend
This free training is aimed at CCG Board Members, GPs, Practice Nurses, Practice Managers, Practice
Reception staff, LMC members, CCG staff and those staff working in Commissioning Support Units
illustrate how
greater
awareness
of Health Literacy
result
in workload reduction
withTo
a particular
role in
supporting
CCG Commissioning
andcan
Quality
outcomes.
and effective practice in Primary Care.
Participants will be issued with certificates which they will be able to use for Appraisal, Revalidation
and CPD purposes.
Why Should They Attend?
According to recent research, carried out by a team which included several GPs, 43% of adults, aged
19 to 65, routinely do not understand health information – a figure that rises to 61% if an element of
numeracy is involved. This means that they, cannot follow and adhere to medication instructions, do
not know when an appointment has been made for them, do not understand a diagnosis, cannot use
a 24 hour clock, cannot evaluate the risk and benefits of procedures and will not understand the
meaning of words with multiple meanings such as regularly and positive. They are usually the same
adults who have the poorest health outcomes in terms of premature mortality and multiple comorbidities. They are frequently the biggest users of all health services.
Many of the practitioners who work with people with lower levels of health literacy are unaware of
the impacts that this has on them and consequently feel frustrated and disappointed when their
patients do not follow their advice. They often fail to recognise the signs that people do not
understand what they have been told because they have not been trained to recognise them. This
Health Literacy Awareness for Primary Care Practitioners training tackles this by defining what health
literacy is, examining the impacts of lower levels of Health Literacy and implications for everyday
practice, looking at how practice might have to change to meet the needs of this group and
considering what initial steps may need to be taken and what help is available to assist in this.
These issues are all outlined in the 2014 Royal College of General Practitioners report on health
Literacy which acknowledges its importance to all aspects of Primary Care.
Objectives

Increased understanding of what Health Literacy and how it might impact on everyday
practice;

Increased awareness of Health Literacy issues and their impact on individuals’ everyday lives
and the services that the support them;

To consider how to support patients with Health Literacy needs within their own services;
Content of the workshop
This interactive and reflective workshop will define Health Literacy, explore where it sits in the
current policy context, reflect on its impacts on current practice and services and explore what
changes can be made at both at a practice and a wider service level. It will also explain what
resources already exist to support such changes.
What previous participants have said about this course…
“A huge impact - better understanding of clients lifestyle choices.” (Support Worker – Women’s Refuge)
“A wake up call - more sympathetic and understanding of patient difficulties.” (Cancer Information Lead
Nurse)
“Provided me with the rationale backed up by evidence to influence others.” (Freelance Health
Consultant)
To book a place on the East of England Health Literacy Awareness and Primary
Care workshop in Huntingdon please use this link:
www.oneeastmidlands.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?id=75&reset=1
Health Literacy Awareness for Primary Care Practitioners Workshop
Wednesday 8th October 2014
09:30 – 13:00
Location: Huntingdon Library, Princes Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 3PA
WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
9.30am – 10.00
Arrival and Refreshments
10.00 – 10.10 Welcome, introductions and setting the scene
 Welcome and Introductions;
 Outline programme for the day;
10.10 – 10.45 Impacts of Health Literacy
 How big is the problem?
 What does it feel like?
 Impacts on people
 Impacts on services
10.45 – 11.00 The Policy Context
 Tackling health inequalities
 Patient activation
 Shared decision making
 Self care
11.00 – 11.15 Discussion
 Identify examples where health literacy impacted on your everyday practice
11.15 – 11.30 Break
11.30 – 12.10 What can we do about it?
12.10 – 12.40
 Group Discussion
 Feedback
What do you think makes a Health Literate Service?
12.40 – 12.50
 Group Discussion
 Feedback
What resources are available?
12.50 – 12.55
What will you do now?
12.55 – 1.00
Close