Agenda – October 14, 2021

10:45 am - 11:00 am (ET)

Welcome

Cynthia Baur, PhD
University of Maryland

Michael Villaire, MSLM
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

This Time, It Must Be Different: Public Health Crisis Messaging Using A Credible Messenger Approach

DeJuan Patterson, MPA
PATIENTS Program, University of Baltimore

Credible messengers are trusted neighborhood leaders and experienced community advocates with relevant life experiences who help community members transform their attitudes and behaviors around a public policy issue. Is it enough to have a team member who looks like the community you're serving? To kick off our conference, Baltimore-based advocate DeJuan Patterson will share about his experience as a credible messenger on a COVID-19 communication project and action items for future public health initiatives.

Objectives

• Describe the credible messenger approach
• Describe the benefits of using a credible messenger

11:00 am - 12:00 pm (ET)

Advancing Health Literacy COVID-19 Grants—A Policy Opportunity for Health Literacy?

Moderator

Cynthia Baur, PhD
University of Maryland

Panel

Mary Ann Abrams, MD, MPH
Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Susan Bockrath, MPH, CHES
Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors

Elizabeth Chung
Asian American Center of Frederick

The Office of Minority Health within the Biden administration recently awarded $250 million in health literacy to 73 local governments as part of its COVID-19 response. Does the “Advancing Health Literacy (AHL) to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19” grant program signal a move toward more health literacy funding? How can the health literacy community leverage this decision to demonstrate the power and efficacy of health literacy to improve the likelihood of more such grants? Hear from 3 grant recipients on how they plan to use these funds to battle COVID-19 using health literacy approaches, how these programs will raise awareness of health literacy within their communities, and the rationale from Office of Minority Health leadership (invited) for how and why this approach was chosen.

Objectives

• Describe collaborative, community-based approaches to using health literacy practices to fight COVID-19.
• Discuss ways in which advocates can use policy strategies to advance health literacy.
• Identify 3 ways raising health literacy awareness at a community level can advance health equity.

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm (ET)

Exploring the Boundaries of Information Accessibility

Health information should be accurate, accessible, and actionable, according to the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Plain language techniques can help with information accessibility but may not be enough. This panel discussion will examine accessibility and different approaches to making health information accessible to people with a range of challenges, such as disabilities or very low literacy skills.

Moderator

Bonnie Swenor, PhD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center

Panel

Karen Erickson, PhD
Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, University of North Carolina

Daphne Greenberg, PhD
Adult Literacy Research Center, Georgia State University

Mike McKee, MD, MPH
Center for Disability Health and Wellness, University of Michigan

Objectives

• List at least 2 information accessibility challenges.
• Describe at least 2 methods to expand information accessibility for a specific population group.
• Explain 1 way to apply information accessibility approaches to improve health literacy.

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm (ET)

One Goal of Civic Literacy: Teaching Media Literacy to Promote Health Equity

In the digital age, any conception of literacy should include being able to effectively find and evaluate online information. Without these skills, people are more likely to trust disinformation and put themselves — and their communities — at risk. How can we promote media literacy and quell the spread of health-related digital disinformation in our personal and professional lives? In this workshop, we will frame media literacy as a component of civic literacy and argue that, by focusing on media literacy, we can lower divides in access to high-quality information and promote greater health equity. We will introduce practical, research-based strategies for evaluating the veracity of digital information and review both short- and long-term approaches to promoting media literacy and discouraging the spread of digital disinformation.

Sarah McGrew, PhD
Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, University of Maryland

Janet Ohene-Frempong, MS
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Objectives

• Explain the connection between health literacy, civic literacy, media literacy, and health equity.
• Describe 3 strategies for evaluating the veracity of digital information.
• Describe 3 strategies to discourage the spread of disinformation, as one main goal of digital literacy.

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm (ET)

Workshop: Designing for Accessibility: Tips for Digital Health Products

This session will cover tips for designing digital health products that are accessible. We’ll cover the basics of accessibility philosophy, review Section 508 compliance standards, and discuss tips and considerations for building accessibility into digital health products. We’ll share examples of how we’ve done this for products we’ve developed — like the National Eye Institute’s public-facing website and the My ALS Decision Tool™. We’ll end with an interactive activity that includes showing participants what it’s like to navigate a health website with a screen reader and letting them practice writing alternative (alt) text.

Monika Ramnarayan, MPH
CommunicateHealth

Fred Van Geloven, MA
CommunicateHealth

Objectives

• Explain what accessibility is and why it’s important.
• Describe 3 tips and considerations for enhancing accessibility in digital health products that go beyond Section 508 compliance.
• Write effective alternative (alt) text for an image on a website.

1:30 pm - 2:10 pm (ET)

Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program

Learn about the newly launched Health Literacy Specialist Certificate program, which can enhance your health literacy skills and knowledge.

Michael Villaire, MSLM
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Objectives

• Describe a program to enhance health literacy skills.

2:20 pm - 3:00 pm (ET)

Health Literacy Solutions Center – A Networking Session

The Health Literacy Solutions Center (HLSC) is a newly redesigned portal dedicated to those interested in connecting and learning from others who care about health literacy. Join this session to learn about tools and resources that might be useful to you and participate in a demonstration of a networking event regularly offered through the site.

Diana Peña Gonzalez, MPH, CHES
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Eskarlethe Juarez, MPH, CHES
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Objectives

• State at least 1 way to find health literacy resources.
• Describe at least 1 way to stay connected with the health literacy community.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm (ET)

Paving the Way to Health Equity Through an Innovative, Needs-Based Program

Justice-involved people are often overlooked for population health initiatives as they reside separately from the community during incarceration, and the correctional system infrastructure can be daunting. Successful interventions require collaborative partnerships and innovation. This session’s presenter will describe a National Institutes of Health-funded study conducted with justice-involved people to improve their health and reduce recidivism. This project won the 2020 Frank Bradway Rogers Health Information Advancement Award from the Medical Library Association. The study investigators initiated partnerships with a health literacy expert and a mission-driven technology company in their development of the assessment tool and the educational intervention. Attendees will learn findings and lessons from the study, as well as strategies for addressing policy and practice implications.

Gail Kouame, MILIS
Greenblatt Library, Augusta University

Objectives

• Identify the unique health disparities experienced by justice-involved people and their families and communities.
• Describe how this needs-based health education program advances health equity for justice-involved people.
• Discuss how lessons learned from this study can inform policy to extend the reach of this program, and inform adaptation and replication in other practice settings with other vulnerable populations.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm (ET)

Telehealth: Friend or Foe to Health Access?

Telehealth became a more accessible way to deliver health services for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. While telehealth has been effective at reaching some communities, it is just another barrier for others. We are still learning ways to improve its efficacy for providers and patients. This panel will discuss challenges and barriers, evaluate its success, and suggest solutions for making it more accessible and usable.

Moderator

Michael Villaire, MSLM
Institute for Healthcare Advancement

Panel

Arjoon
Patient Advocate

Patty Herrera
La Habra Family Resource Center

Elaine Khoong, MD, MS
University of California, San Francisco

Objectives

• List 2 challenges raised by telehealth services.
• Describe 2 methods to make telehealth services more accessible.
• Explain at least 2 solutions to help make telehealth visits more effective.