Abstract
In It Together: National Health Literacy Project for Black MSM is designed to improve the capacity of health departments and community-based organizations to deliver health literate HIV services, with a particular focus on health services provided to Black/African American MSM. This workshop will provide a short training designed to promote health literacy as a component of culturally appropriate service delivery.
Proposal Summary
CDC’s recent estimate that one in two black MSM will get HIV in his lifetime underscores how critical it is for black MSM to find, understand and use HIV prevention, care and treatment information. The process of finding, understanding and using health information is called health literacy. In It Together-National Health Literacy Project for Black MSM is designed to improve health outcomes along the HIV care continuum by developing health literate organizations and promoting health literacy as a component of culturally appropriate service delivery. Participants in this workshop will learn about the blended online and in-person training approach used to prepare 100 health literacy trainers from 25 states to deliver community trainings. Participants will be a part of a 75-minute community workshop that provides rich information on how health literacy affects health outcomes from black MSM, how black culture, including stigma and discrimination, can impact black MSM engagement in care, how spoken and written communication techniques can promote health literacy and what actions organizations can take to become health literate healthcare organizations. Participants will form groups and practice using health literacy approaches such as the teach-back and Ask Me 3 ™ to encourage health literate conversations between health professionals and black MSM.
Relevance And Significance
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can get, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions. People need health literacy skills to: Read prescription bottles; Read appointment slips; Listen to and follow a doctor’s directions; Interact with health care professionals. Many Black MSM face profound stigma and discrimination, which can significantly affect their health literacy levels. For Black MSM, safe and patient-centered care means that health providers create an environment that is free of stigma and discrimination. Black MSM are often mistrustful of the medical establishment, so health organizations must make a concerted effort to make patients feel comfortable and involved. When communication is clear and information is easy-to-understand, patients feel more comfortable, are more open, and will be more willing to engage as partners in their care.
Session Format
Workshop
Keywords
Health literacy, Black MSM
Location
Room 217
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Esler, Rene, "Practicing health literate communication to engage black MSM in care" (2016). 9th Annual Rural HIV Research and Training Conference (2014-2019). 7.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ruralhiv/2016/2016/7
Included in
Practicing health literate communication to engage black MSM in care
Room 217
In It Together: National Health Literacy Project for Black MSM is designed to improve the capacity of health departments and community-based organizations to deliver health literate HIV services, with a particular focus on health services provided to Black/African American MSM. This workshop will provide a short training designed to promote health literacy as a component of culturally appropriate service delivery.
