Innovate to Communicate: Health Literacy Workforce Training Implementation

Innovate to Communicate: Health Literacy Workforce Training aims to educate frontline clinicians and hospital leaders in the knowledge and application of health literacy practices. By empowering healthcare with tools and resources for action, Innovate to Communicate promotes health literate organizations in North Texas hospitals. The program includes self-learning modules and a multimedia, interactive workshop in person or via Zoom, using videos, discussion, interactive exercises and role play of clinician-patient scenarios to encourage learning but also attitudinal and behavioral change towards health literate practices. Observation tools used with clinician-patient interactions during role play scenarios facilitate adherence. During the NNLM 2020 funding cycle, our project team, in collaboration with clinicians, leaders, and educators, built Innovate to Communicate to teach clinicians and leaders how to: 1) use evidence-based health literacy practices to communicate (plain language, chunking information, and teach back); 2) focus on integrating health literacy into structures, processes, and quality measures; and 3) utilize health literacy resources to promote a health literate organization. To meet clinicians and leaders where they are, we will partner with the DFW Hospital Council Foundation (DFWHCF) and area hospitals. Our project team will use a train the trainer model to build sustainability, training identified persons to become health literacy advocates, who will in turn deliver Innovate to Communicate with further clinicians and leaders in their hospitals.