American Academy of Family Physicians

Printer-friendly version

Share this on AAFP Connection

Share this page

AHRQ Guide Addresses Health IT Needs of Patients With Limited Literacy

By News Staff

Here's something to think about: You've developed a new interactive practice Web site for your patients only to discover that the site is a frustrating maze to patients with limited literacy.

Patient Care
That situation is all too common, according to the authors of Accessible Health Information Technology for Populations with Limited Literacy (21-page PDF file; About PDFs), a new guide from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, that was prepared by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

According to the guide's authors, an estimated 92 million adults with limited literacy live in the United States. At the same time, the use of health IT is expanding, as physicians, health plans, states and the federal government provide consumers with information and tools to enhance their health care decision-making ability.

The AHRQ resource was created for developers and purchasers of health information technology to help ensure that health IT products are not only available to but also usable by limited-literacy populations. According to the authors, many health IT developers have little knowledge of populations with limited literacy or of the technical standards and aspects of accessible health IT design.

Hence, the resource provides a structure, strategies and other resources for the development of these technologies and can help guide physicians when purchasing or developing their own health IT.

The guidelines for engaging adults with limited literacy include health IT development tips, such as
  • language that is plain, clear and written at a reading level at or below the sixth-grade level;
  • content that is relevant to the audience and that assumes little background knowledge about the human body or the health care system;
  • a format conducive to reading and comprehension and that includes white space, short lines, use of bullets and some content in a question-and-answer format; and
  • subject matter that appeals to diverse racial and ethnic groups.
A checklist for how to create a Web site useful to patients with limited literacy could be of special benefit to family physicians. To reach such patients, a Web site should, among other things
  • work with older hardware and software models,
  • prioritize information,
  • minimize scrolling, and
  • provide easy search mechanisms.
Checklists also were developed for computer kiosks; personal devices, such as PDAs; and home- or self-care medical devices.

Share this on AAFP Connection

Health of the Public

Study: PPI Does Not Routinely Improve Asthma Control

Recalled Oral Contraceptives Pose Pregnancy Risk

CDC to Fund 2D Vaccine Barcoding Pilot

2012 Immunization Schedules Reflect Multiple Changes

Study: Cognitive Decline Detected in Middle-aged Adults

CDC Toolkit Can Help Clinicians Fight Norovirus Infection

Patient-Centered Care Linked to Lower Mortality

Study: Inappropriate Cancer Screenings Continue

Novartis Manufacturing Plant Closes After Drug Mix-ups

FDA Announces Classwide REMS for TIRF Medications

New Infants' Acetaminophen Products Hit Store Shelves

Avoid Environmental Factors Linked to Breast Cancer

Risk for Thrombosis Prompts REMS for Rivaroxaban

Common Drugs Implicated in Most Emergency Hospitalizations

CDC Launches Campaign for Child Medication Safety

HHS Blocks Expanded OTC Access to Plan B

Push Is On to Vaccinate Pregnant, Postpartum Women

FDA Committee Votes to Broaden PCV13 Indication

AAFP Foundation Program Aims to Fight Chronic Disease

NIAAA Alcohol Screening Guide Targets Teens

Walgreens, AAFP Launch Flu Vaccine Pilot in Five States

Helping Patients Quit Smoking Starts With a Question

Trilipix Efficacy in Question, Says FDA

USPSTF Addresses Skin Cancer, Obesity, Cervical Cancer Screening

AAFP Endorses ACP Guideline on ED

ACIP Recommends Expanded HPV, Hepatitis B Vaccination

Bacterial Contamination Spurs Nasal Spray Recall

CDC Renews Call for PCV13 Vaccination

USPSTF Recommends Against PSA Screening

AAFP Supports HHS' Million Hearts Initiative

FDA Phases Out Primatene Mist Inhalers

AHRQ Guides Explain Benefits, Risks of GERD Treatments

Tar Wars Winner Gives Back

Office Champions Project Nets Smoking Cessation Gains

Multiple Lots of Oral Contraceptives Recalled

New Vaccine Review Finds Few Adverse Events

HPV Vaccination Rates Still Lag, Says CDC

Renal Injury Prompts Reclast Label Changes

High-dose Citalopram Linked to Abnormal Heart Rhythms

AHRQ Sleep Apnea Guides Review Diagnosis, Management

Board Chair Spotlights Breadth of Family Medicine Training

USPSTF Softens Stance on Bladder Cancer Screening

HHS Expands Coverage for Women's Preventive Services

Teledermatology Project Aids Underserved Patients

New Chantix Warnings Cite Cardiovascular Risk

Pertussis Outbreaks Lead to CDC Alert on PCR Testing