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Overview of Organizational Health Literacy

The environmental characteristics of early childhood programs can influence the experiences and actions of families, staff, and community partners. They can also affect access to information, care, and services. Environmental characteristics may include the kinds of words used in conversations with families, shared health education materials, forms and health instructions, program websites, and exterior and interior signs; helpfulness of staff; and organizational policies and procedures. Policies and practices that reduce the negative effects of environmental characteristics and support health literacy can enhance the program experience and improve health outcomes.

Organizational health literacy focuses on key factors that can affect people’s access to information, care, and services. Early childhood programs can focus on their efforts in these five areas: 

Organizational Policies

  • Include improving health literacy in quality improvement activities and safety goals for family and staff. 
  • Include at least one question about the quality and availability of health information or about the communication skills of the staff in family surveys.

Organizational Practices

  • Review all printed materials for families and staff to make sure the writing is in plain language. 
  • Train staff who develop materials on how to review them for plain language and how to test materials with families. 
  • Train new staff in health literacy. 

Getting Around the Facility

  • Put maps of the facility in the lobby. 
  • Greet families warmly and offer to help them find where they are going.
  • Assign staff or volunteers to help people get around the facility. 
  • Use plain language (not jargon) and symbols, graphics, or icons on signs. 

Culture and Language

  • Offer translation and simultaneous interpretation language services. 
  • Offer forms and materials in languages other than English.
  • Do not allow children or untrained people to serve as medical interpreters.
  • Include information about the community (e.g., culture, languages, and other demographics) in orientation for staff.

Communication

  • Use simple vocabulary in conversations. 
  • Review print materials such as educational pamphlets, intake and consent forms, websites, and patient portals to make sure they use plain language.

Learn More 

Check out these resources to discover ways to improve the health literacy of your program environment:

Read more:

,  Health Services Management