Health literacy in CALD population who attend POW Diabetes Centre

Funding or Partner Organisation: NSW Health South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (NSW Health - South Eastern Sydney Local Health District - Cultural Diversity Enhancement Grant Program)

Start year: 2014

Summary: The project will involve establishing a framework for diabetes educators on how to conduct diabetes education that is responsive to people with low health literacy. Initially this will involve reviewing current approaches and assessing if the current diabetes education approach is appropriate for patients with low health literacy. Key diabetes education resources utilised by the diabetes education team will be evaluated including multilingual resources (eg hypoglycemia resource). Patients will be actively involved in this process (ie discuss with them where they get their information from, what information do they need, their understanding of diabetes and how to manage their health, culturally appropriate approaches such as family centred approaches etc). These consultations will happen during the course of one-to-one education sessions as well as focus groups. Available literature will also be reviewed. Subsequently the education program will be redesigned to enhance its ability to be patient centred and responsive to those with low health literacy. The framework which all educators will be require at a minimum identifying people with low health literacy, use of interpreters and multilingual resources etc. All educators will partake in professional development on health literacy and the new framework.

Keywords: Health literacy, health education, self-management, CALD communities

FOR Codes: Health Promotion, Health not elsewhere classified, Other health not elsewhere classified, Determinants of health