Building Health Literacy Assessment and Communication Skills: A DNP Curricular Thread

Development of effective communication skills is fundamental to the provider-patient interaction, particularly in instances of low health literacy. Low health literacy is associated with difficulties in navigating and accessing the health care system, understanding health care information, poor adherence, improper medication use, missed appointments, and ultimately adverse health outcomes.

A curricular thread in the University DNP FNP clinical seminar series helps students build skills in health literacy assessment and communication.  An introductory module in the Advanced Health Assessment course helps students to understand the impact of low health literacy on health care, as well as learn assessment tools and beginning communication skills.   The University Health Literacy Training Website is an essential part of this introductory module, developed as a comprehensive resource and teaching tool, and accessible to students throughout the DNP program.

The clinical seminar series uses patient case studies, which include the use of one or more components of effective communication (e.g., use of plain language, teach-back techniques, probing for understanding, limiting information to 2-3 important points, using drawings or models to demonstrate, and patient decision-support aids). Students practice communication techniques in the seminar group setting and move from simple to complex problems over time. As cases increase in complexity, DNP students are challenged to communicate more complex information. Additionally, video clips of provider-patient interactions are used in seminar discussions of effective communication techniques. In the final clinical seminar course, health literacy system priorities and policy changes for promoting improved communication in low health literacy populations are explored.

This project is supported by funds from the following: Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)