As you undoubtedly know by now, pricey readers, we often serve up well being lit suggestions for creating well being schooling supplies. However placing well being literacy finest practices into, effectively, apply isn’t solely about writing. And we know that for a lot of of you, face-to-face convos are an enormous a part of your work.
Educating somebody well being info in particular person — or by telephone or Zoom — offers you 1 key benefit over written supplies: you can discover out in actual time in case your viewers understands the info you’re speaking — after which clarify it in a brand new manner in the event that they don’t.
How, you ask? The teach-back technique! It’s a way that well being care suppliers and well being educators can use to test for understanding. And with the rising variety of telehealth visits — the place well being literacy issues could possibly be more durable to identify — it might be further essential to have a strong technique for ensuring you’re successfully explaining well being info.
At its core, teach-back entails Four steps:
1. Clarify the info. You know the drill: use plain language, select culturally acquainted phrases and examples, and concentrate on the related motion steps. If you’re explaining an motion — say, methods to discover allergens on a meals label — show it if you can.
2. Verify understanding. This step is vital as a result of we know that individuals are likely to say they perceive well being info even once they actually don’t. So as a substitute of asking, “Do you perceive?,” ask folks to clarify what you instructed them in their very own phrases. Emphasize that you’re not testing them however fairly checking how effectively you defined the info. Attempt one thing like this: “I know that was quite a lot of info, and I wish to make sure that I defined all the things appropriately. Can you inform me in your individual phrases what you have to do after this go to?”
3. Re-explain if wanted. In case your first rationalization didn’t fairly get the job completed, clarify once more in a brand new manner. Attempt writing down the info you’re giving, circling key info on a handout they’ll take house, or navigating to a webpage collectively.
4. Re-check understanding. Ask folks once more to clarify in their very own phrases. Deal with no matter they struggled with the first time. You will get artistic right here, too — if you’ve confirmed somebody methods to do one thing, like use an inhaler, ask them to show how they’d do it.
The underside line: For in-person, telephone, and video well being convos, teach-back is a simple and efficient manner to verify folks perceive well being info.