House directs continued action on health literacy in dentistry
Honolulu鈥擳he ADA will continue to take on a leadership role in improving health literacy in dentistry, as directed by the House of Delegates in October.
Resolution 43H-2009 reauthorizes the ad hoc advisory committee on health literacy in dentistry. The committee will “assist the Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations in the implementation of its five-year strategic action plan, development of policy recommendations, targeted educational strategies and other health promotion programs, and activities to improve health literacy.”
Passing the resolution is an important step in securing the Association’s leadership role in improving health literacy, said Dr. R. Gary Rozier, professor, Department of Health Policy and Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.
“It reaffirms the view by the Association and the committee that poor health literacy is a barrier to the prevention and treatment of oral diseases and thus plays a major role in the nation’s oral health,” said Dr. Rozier.
“Studies in medicine reveal that literacy is one of the strongest predictors of health status,” he added, “even more important than an individual’s income or education level. Too many patients misinterpret or do not understand information provided to them. This lack of understanding can lead to poor adherence to instructions, missed appointments, adverse oral health outcomes and even malpractice lawsuits.”
The National Advisory Committee on Health Literacy in Dentistry met twice in 2009 and emphasized a variety of promising practices in health care to help improve health literacy, including: creating a respectful environment where all patients are offered assistance with understanding printed and written communications; using clear and plain language; encouraging questions and dialogue with patients; using “teach-back” methods, asking patients to repeat their interpretation of instructions and other information they received at a visit; and offering take-home tools with clear directions.
“Clear, effective communication skills are more essential now than ever before because of the increasing diversity of the population and the growing complexity of dental treatment, which has lead to the expansion of dentists’ role in a broad range of health issues,” said Dr. Rozier. “The committee will continue to explore effective communication strategies that can be adopted by dentists and the dental team.”