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.
In 1962 Sir McFarland Burnett stated, ‘By the end of the Second World War it was possible to say that almost all of the major practical problems of dealing with infectious disease had been solved.’ At that time, his statement was logical. Control and prevention measures had decreased the incidence of many infectious diseases, and with the ability to continue to identify new antibiotics, to handle new problems, and the ongoing development of appropriate vaccines, his statement appeared to be appropriate.
In the US, similar feelings were expressed and funding for infectious disease fellowships began to decline with federal resources being directed elsewhere.
The history of the world is intertwined with the impact that infectious diseases have had on populations. Evidence of smallpox has been found in 3000-year-old Egyptian mummies. Egyptian papyrus paintings depict infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis. Hippocrates wrote about the spread of disease by means of airs, water, and places, and made an association between climate, diet, and living conditions. Investigators described miasmas as the source of infections. Fracastoro discussed the germ theory in the 1500s and three routes of contagion were proposed—direct contact, fomites, and contagion from a distance (airborne). Epidemics of leprosy, plague, syphilis, smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, typhoid fever, and other infectious diseases were the norm.
The development of the microscope by Leeuwenhoek in the 1600s allowed scientists to visualize micro-organisms for the first time. The 1800s brought knowledge of the cultivation and identification of micro-organisms. Vaccines were developed and used which introduced specific methods to our storehouse of measures for control and prevention. Pasteurization was another important contribution to disease control. An appreciation of the environment and its relationship to infectious diseases resulted in implementation of broad control measures such as community sanitation, personal hygiene, and public health education. The importance of nutrition was appreciated for its impact on infectious diseases.
<span>Identifying drug "hot spots" in urban areas is the answer I believe!!</span>
Always perform a self check. It is typically recommended you do it while in the shower.
