Colloquium Series Aims for Health Literacy

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 3, 2010) — The University of Kentucky's College of Communications and Information Studies has launched a new colloquium series as part of its Health Literacy Initiative to address the problem of low health literacy in Kentucky.

Health literacy is a person's ability to obtain, process, understand, and communicate about health information and to make informed health decisions. Last spring, the College's Dean Dan O'Hair recognized a need for greater health literacy in Kentucky. He wanted to communicate important health information to the state, and knew many people who were interested in helping. These people included medical experts, government officials and students. He decided to create the College's Health Literacy Initiative, and to include a colloquium series to bring experts together in panel discussions to share health information. He wanted the colloquiums filmed for various uses including the College's website, podcasts, educational programming and content analysis.

"We saw an opportunity to capture the insight of two dozen experts on the subject of health literacy,” said O’Hair. “At the same time, the colloquium series gave our broadcasting students another opportunity to practice their skills.”

As part of a graduate seminar course and two undergraduate communications courses, the College decided to hold six public forums throughout the fall semester to integrate health literacy experts and have them collaborate on issues and possible ways to improve health literacy throughout the state.

The Health Literacy Colloquium series is a distinctive program with the goal of increasing knowledge of basic health issues among Kentuckians. Each panel expert plays a different role. Some conduct research on health literacy in rural areas, while others educate pharmacy or medical students on how to counsel patients with low health literacy. Others guide patients and families with diagnoses or health issues by translating medical jargon into plain English. Panelists have included UK President Lee T. Todd Jr., State Senator Julie Denton, State Representative Tom Burch, UK College of Medicine Dean Emery A. Wilson, and many others who deal with different aspects of increasing health literacy in Kentucky. The panel is moderated by Al Cross, Director of the College's Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.

“We have been thoroughly impressed with the depth of knowledge of each panelist." said O’Hair. "We are discovering that many people are promoting health literacy. This Colloquium series give us a chance to spread the word to more people.”

The Health Literacy Initiative focuses on four core areas: asset mapping, network development, engaged research and capacity building. Graduate students in the Health Literacy Initiative are discovering what Kentucky is doing to improve health literacy, and identifying what is working to maintain that improvement. They are also building a network of scholars to address health literacy issues, and conducting research to find ways to raise health literacy in Kentucky. They are building the assets that Kentucky has and creating new assets to fill in the gaps.

After each colloquium is posted online, undergraduate and graduate students involved with the Health Literacy Initiative blog about each forum. This way, they can recognize the best practices that they have seen from the series.

During the colloquiums that have taken place so far this semester, panelists have discussed a lack of information provided to caregivers, and ways these caregivers can partner with patients. Other problems that have been recognized are patient self care, taking medication correctly, and when to go to the emergency room.

O'Hair acknowledges that no one program will produce greater health literacy in Kentucky. He hopes that the colloquiums will encourage students to create awareness among others. O'Hair and the College expect that the Health Literacy Initiative will create connections with other programs that improve health literacy in Kentucky.

The last forum of the semester was Dec. 2. “The Colloquium series was so successful," O'Hair said, "that we are seriously considering extending them into the spring semester.” O'Hair hopes the series will spawn an increase in the depth and breadth of the health literacy discussion in Kentucky.

The panels are recorded and are featured on http://cis.uky.edu/Colloquium and UK TV Cable Channel 16. For more information on the Health Literacy Initiative, visit http://cis.uky.edu/healthliteracy.