Health Literacy & Communication Roundup – March 2017

Patient portals are increasingly popular, but can patients understand the content? Check out this study that used the CDC's Clear Communication Index to measure the clarity of content on patient portals. If you're already sharing information on patient portals, ask how our Health Literacy & Plain Language Services can help you create easy-to-read materials to reach your audience.

Time and time again, empathy has been shown to be a critical factor in patients’ perceptions of care. A new study from the Netherlands confirms this. 

The National Academies of Medicine recently published proceedings from a workshop on the topic of helping consumers understand health insurance. 

A new open-access journal, Health Literacy Research and Practice (HLRP), was recently launched. Read this editorial about the journal and what is to come. 

Tweep spotlight:

If you're interested in learning about plain language from the perspective of a lawyer, check out Christopher Trudeau on Twitter @proftrudeau

Upcoming events:

April 3-9 is National Public Health Week. Check out the events happening in the St. Louis area to celebrate the week.  

Check out this author event at Left Bank Books (just down the street from the medical campus) on April 11th featuring Thomas Shapiro, professor of Sociology and Public Policy at Brandeis. He'll present his new book, Toxic Inequality, on the growing wealth gap in the United States.