Answer and Explanation
There are various ways which could help a person improve his or her health literacy. They are;
• In accessing a patient’s ability of understanding written materials such as prescriptions, an should ask open-ended questions.
• In determining if a patient understands instructions, one should use the Teach Back communication technique.
• When showing a patient how to use a device and how to perform some tasks, employ the ‘show back’ technique where you show them what to do.
• Use the ‘upside down’ technique when handing instruction documents to patients to observe whether they will notice and put it right side up.
• Employ simple language when talking to patients .i.e. “swallow” instead of “take”
• Employ a slow language tone when giving instructions to patients
• Replace long instructions with graphics and pictures
• When providing information, respect the grade level of the patient.
