Furthering Health Literacy Knowledge and Application of Principles to Practice - Essay Example

Health status disparities arise from the conception held by individuals with low health literacy skills that they are substantially more likely than individuals with high health literacy skills to acknowledge their health as poor due to minimal understanding of health-related issues (Lambert & Keogh, 2014). It is possible to use the ADA’s strategic areas (training and education, advocacy, research, dental practice, and building and maintaining coalitions) and the associated goals, objectives, and strategies to address disparities in oral health status (Podschun, 2010).

The strategic area of training and education can be used to change the perceptions of oral health in community members with low health literacy skills with the view to enhancing their understanding of health literacy in relation to oral health and quality of life outcomes. The strategic area of advocacy is extremely important in terms of persuading legislators and other stakeholders to implement policies and fund programs aimed at providing practical support for health literacy-related education and interventions targeting individuals with low health literacy skills (Podschun, 2010).

Research is important in addressing disparities in health status as it builds an evidence base of resources and also facilitates the transfer of knowledge to enhance the superior understanding of health-related information. This increases the capacity of individuals with low health literacy skills to make informed health choices that enhance their oral health. ADA’s strategic area of building and maintaining coalitions is important in addressing disparities in health status as it allows the establishment of health literacy as a priority issue for dental organizations and increases hospital-based collaborations.

Lastly, the strategic area of dental practice addresses disparities in health status by not only improving communication and patient understanding in dental practice, but also facilitating strategies that enhance oral health workforce diversity, capacity, and flexibility (Podschun, 2010). This strategic area is by far the most important to me as it can be used to target the improvement of communication and understanding of health-related issues in populations that may be disadvantaged by racial, ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.

Targeting such population groups through flexible and culturally-specific strategies ultimately increases their health literacy skills, which in turn addresses disparities in health status. I can further my knowledge of health literacy by undertaking courses (training) that will enhance my health communication strategies and cultural competency skills. Such courses/training will enhance my capacity to work effectively in cross-cultural contexts by providing the needed impetus to understand behaviors, languages, customs, value systems, beliefs, and perspectives of culturally and linguistically diverse populations (Clear Communication, n.d.).

I can also further my knowledge on health literacy by (1) acknowledging cultural differences and practicing respect, (2) improving access to accurate and appropriate health information, (3) working with the media, and (4) partnering with educators to improve health curricula (Quick Guide, n.d.).  In applying health literacy principles to dental practice,  it is important to provide content that solves oral health problems by ensuring that educational materials (e.g., brochures, pamphlets, booklets, flyers, fact sheets, and posters) are clear to the reader, limiting the number of concepts to be learned to ensure ease of understanding, and focusing mainly on behaviors rather than medical facts.

It is also important to use an active voice and common words to ensure easy reading, which in turn assists readers to understand new information. Photos and illustrations of dental health practices can be used to enhance understanding and also to demonstrate the means through which good oral health behaviors can be reinforced. Here, age, racial, and socioeconomic factors should be considered to ensure that the visuals and accompanying health messages represent the targeted audience (Health Literacy Principles, 2013).

Lastly, it is important to involve the reader of the health message by not only writing the message in a positive and friendly tone but also ensuring the material is interactive and allows for greater reader engagement through the utilization of self-assessment tasks and Q&A segments.