Article: Challenges and solutions in communication with patients with low health literacy: Perspectives of healthcare providers.

Better Conversations, Better Outcomes – Applying health literacy in clinical practice.

Every dietitian has experienced it: a patient nods throughout the consultation, appears to understand, yet returns to having misunderstood or not implemented the advice provided.

Why does this happen?

We may attribute it to poor motivation or non-adherence. But sometimes, the problem may lie not only in what we communicate, but in whether our patients can access, understand and confidently act on the information we provide. A patient’s ability to understand and act on health information may also change with unfamiliar diagnoses, emotional stress, information overload or the complexity of the situation – regardless of education level.

As healthcare increasingly embraces shared decision-making and patient-centred care, communication is no longer simply a “soft skill”. It is an essential component of effective clinical practice.

This open-access, peer-reviewed article, Challenges and solutions in communication with patients with low health literacy: Perspectives of healthcare providers, explores the communication challenges healthcare professionals encounter when patients experience health literacy challenges, the strategies used in clinical practice, and the support healthcare providers need to communicate more effectively.

As you read, reflect on how these findings relate to your own consultations.

Is your patient leaving the consultation knowing what to do next?

Which communication strategies do you already use well, and what small change could help transform everyday conversations into better patient outcomes?

After reading the article, answer a set of multiple-choice questions to pass the activity and qualify for CEU. This activity is accredited for 3 CEUs.

A summary of the Key Take Home Messages and Evidence-to-Practice “Better Conversations Toolkit” will be provided with the activity.

The content of this activity was developed by Debby Gates RD(SA).