Hae-Ra Han, PhD, RN, FAAN, who was named the 2018 Isabel Hampton Robb Distinguished Scholar, urged caregivers in a February lecture to take time to not only dispense information but make sure patients absorb it before they walk out the door.
As the Isabel Hampton Robb Distinguished Scholar, Han presented “Patient Centered Education: How a Health Literacy Lens Can Improve Your Work.” She encouraged an audience that included Robb’s grandson, Ted Robb, never to assume health literacy on the part of a patient, even down to understanding how to read the label on a prescription bottle: “Just because she is wearing a suit doesn’t mean she will understand.”
And Han offered clear, concise tips for being clear and concise:
- Use plain language
- Limit information (make three to five key points)
- Be specific and concrete, not general
- Demonstrate, draw pictures, and use models
- Repeat and summarize
- Use the teach-back method to confirm understanding
- Be positive, hopeful, and empowering
The Isabel Hampton Robb Distinguished Scholarship, named for the inaugural superintendent of nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital and principal of its brand-new nurse training school, recognizes achievement at the highest level and the potential for ongoing excellence.