Health literacy and patient safety

The American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation and AMA are exploring the link between health literacy and patient safety. Our goal is to create safer and shame-free health care environments for patients with limited health literacy, and by extension, to all patients.

Towards that goal, we have created two resources for providers to help them minimize communication-related adverse events - a patient safety monograph and patient safety tip cards.

Reducing the risk by designing a safer, shame-free health care environment is a 68-page monograph that offers new supporting research, explores how ineffective communication and low health literacy combine to affect patient safety, provides tools to decrease communication-related adverse events at a systemwide level, and helps physicians initiate changes toward a safer and shame-free practice environment.  As a bonus, one Safe Communication Universal Precautions tip card is included which can serve as a take-away reminder of the tips featured within the monograph.  Also included is Continuing Medical Education credit* for physicians.  Reducing the risk by designing a safer, shame-free health care environment can be purchased for $15 through the AMA Bookstore or by calling (800) 621-8335 and asking for Item #OP424907.

The Safe Communication Universal Precautions tip card is a laminated, pocket-sized card containing practical tips for providers on how to minimize communication-related adverse events.  Root cause analysis finds more than 80% of medical errors are due to communication breakdowns. These communication breakdowns can occur not only between providers and patients, but also between all staff.  This tip card can serve as a quick reminder on how to streamline precise and complete communication among staff members.  Safe Communication Universal Precautions tip cards can be purchased in packets of 25 for $15 through the AMA Bookstore or by calling (800) 621-8335 and asking for Item #OP424806.

Both resources are supported in part by an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc.

Lastly, in November 2006, the AMA Foundation and AMA also hosted the first-ever health literacy and patient safety conference (PDF, 23KB). This two-day conference aimed to move health literacy and patient safety into the medical mainstream (from individual patient-physician encounters through office/group/hospital systems, from undergraduate medical education through continuing medical education and accreditation). Proceedings and recommendations from the conference will posted in late 2007.

* Continuing Medical Education

The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  The AMA designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2.5 PRA Category 1 Credits™.