Opening Remarks

Elizabeth Chung
Executive Director
Asian American Center of Frederick

Session 1

Turning education and advocacy into policy: Public health techniques and lessons for health literacy

Moderator: Cynthia Baur, PhD

Director Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
University of Maryland School of Public Health

Moderator: Elizabeth Chung

Executive Director
Asian American Center of Frederick

Speaker: Susan Polan, PhD

Public Affairs and Advocacy
Associate Executive Director
American Public Health Association

This session will present the American Public Health Association's (APHA) tested approach to education and advocacy for effective policymaking. APHA is the leading public health professional organization, and it has developed numerous resources to help public health professionals prepare to be effective when educating decisionmakers, contributing to public debates on legislative matters, and promoting policy changes. Susan Polan, Associate Executive Director for Policy and Advocacy, will share APHA's experiences and resources and discuss how to apply them to the health literacy domain.

Learning objectives:

• Describe the differences among education, advocacy, and lobbying. 
• Name 2 effective techniques for educating policymakers.
• List 3 factors for effective coalition building for change.

Session 2

Using the ISO Plain Language Standard to Advocate for Better Health Literacy Outcomes

Moderator: Michael Villaire, MSLM

President/CEO
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Speaker: Barbra Kingsley, PhD

Chair
Center for Plain Language

In this session, Dr. Barbra Kingsley, Chair of the Center for Plain Language will discuss the first ever Plain Language Standard, recently published by The International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Standard was developed by a working group of 50 plain-language experts, representing 16 countries, and reflects consensus on the best practices of leading plain language organizations. This session will explain what the Standard is, what it includes (and doesn’t include), and how you can use it as part of your approach to advocate for improved health literacy. The session will include examples of plain language in action to help you visualize how the standard can impact health communication and improve the consumer experience.

Learning objectives:

• Gain understanding of the ISO plain language standard.
• Connect the standard to existing plain language principles.
• Identify methods of using the plain language standard to improve health information.

Session 3

Looking at AI through a Health Literacy Lens: Developing Policies and Supporting Innovation

Moderator: Michael Villaire, MSLM

President/CEO
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Speaker: Tracy Mehan, MA

Director of Research Translation and Communication
Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital

AI has taken the world by storm. On one hand, it introduces great potential for advances in health literacy in healthcare while on the other hand it can open your institution to potential risks. In this session we will talk about the value of fostering innovative AI use in healthcare while discussing some of the risks and ways to mitigate them.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the potential of AI for health literacy initiatives in healthcare.
• Identify key limitations and challenges associated with the use of AI in healthcare settings.
• Provide input on organizational policies that support the creative use of AI for health literacy in healthcare settings while implementing safeguards to mitigate potential risks.

Session 4

Communication challenges and opportunities when sharing brain health policy and science recommendations with global audiences

Moderator: Cynthia Baur, PhD

Director Horowitz Center for Health Literacy
University of Maryland School of Public Health

Speaker: Rohini Khillan

Senior Policy Advisor with AARP’s Office of Policy and Brain Health

This session tackles a common problem for health and science communicators: how to translate scientific and policy recommendations into actionable information for many audiences with different information needs, cultural backgrounds and languages, and resources. To illustrate the challenges and opportunities, Rohini Khillian, Senior Policy Advisor with AARP’s Office of Policy and Brain Health, will discuss the 2023 report from the Global Council on Brain Health, Building Better Brain Health for All People. The report has cutting edge information for healthy aging and brain health from equity and cultural perspectives. The report also acknowledges the frequent issue of ageism when communicating about older adults and cognition and with older adults about health topics. Ms. Khillan will share tips on AARP's approach to creating actionable information for diverse audiences.