Slide presentation discussing linkages between interprofessional education and health literacy, inspired by the All Together Better Health Conference in Kobe, Japan, Oct. 5-8, 2012 Presented in Second Life on November 12, 2012

1. Interprofessional
Health Care
Education
:
Links to health literacy
from the All Together Better Health Conference VI
Zsuza Tomsen (Susan Toth-Cohen) and Aliesel Resident
Jefferson School of Health Professions, Dept. of Occupational
Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA, USA 19107

2. All Together
Better Health VI
Kobe, Japan
October 5-8
2012

3. Health Literacy
A balance between the
literacy & verbal skills of a Interprofessional
person compared to the Education
demands made by the health When students from 2 or
materials, the communication more professions learn about,
skills of those in the health from & with each other to
field, & the complicated enable effective collaboration
nature of the healthcare & & improve health outcomes
public health systems. (WHO, 2010).
(Harvard Sch. Public
Health, 2011)

4. …
Both are about people…
Patient
Level
… about Health Outcomes
Systems Provider
Level Level
…about communication
and impact

5. How Can IPE…
Help us empower
patients/clients/consumers to build
their health literacy
Create more effective, efficient
healthcare services?
Produce health and human service
professionals who provide
patient/client/consumer centered care?

6. Through IPE, students can learn
to:
 Collaborate to ensure effective
education of
patients/clients/consumers
 Decrease medical errors that
frequently occur from lack of
communication/lack of coordination
 Learn to see each other as resources
and as professionals who have
different contributions to make
 That together, IP teams can
accomplish more than any 1 discipline
alone

7. Example: Interprofessional
Collaboration on the Run
University of British Columbia
 Well developed series on interprofessional
education covering comprehensive aspects
Interprofessional Collaborative Learning series
 Covers key issues including role
clarification, collaborative leadership and shared
decision-making, team functioning, and conflict
management.
 Videos on key topics bring home important
issues, including health literacy levels and how the
provider and system can make a difference.

8. Example: Interprofessional
Collaboration on a Global Level
Thomas Jefferson
 Rwanda Health University Project (est. 2005)
and Healing
sends interprofessional teams to Rwanda to
meet the health needs of refugees.
 Health literacy goals include training Rwandan
professionals in health & hygiene and educating
people about nutrition & HIV/AIDS.
 One example of how interprofessional
collaboration & health literacy can be used
together to address global health inequalities.

9. Discussion
Possible topics (we’ll leave these up to you, here
are some suggestions!)
 What are your experiences of how health
professionals can foster health literacy by
communicating with one another?
 How does patient-centered care improve the
quality of health and human services?