Health Literacy: Tools & Training

Clinical Conversations is a program from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) for training clinicians and other clinical staff who interact with patients about health literacy and related concepts. This program allows clinical trainers or managers to offer brief trainings embedded into regular staff meetings or trainings that they already facilitate as a way to offer continuing education that does not take time out of already busy schedules.

The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) is a systematic method to evaluate and compare the understandability and actionability of patient education materials. It is designed as a guide to help determine whether patients will be able to understand and act on information.

Plain language makes it easier for everyone to understand and use health information. The guidance and tools on this page can help make your health information accurate, accessible, and actionable.

The CDC Clear Communication Index (Index) is a research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is an unfunded working group of federal employees from different agencies and specialties who support the use of clear communication in government writing.

The purpose of this toolkit is to help all health care providers learn to use teach-back to support patients and families throughout the care continuum, especially during transitions between health care settings.

The teach-back method is a way of checking understanding by asking patients to state in their own words what they need to know or do about their health. It is a way to confirm that you have explained things in a manner your patients understand. The related show-me method allows staff to confirm that patients are able to follow specific instructions

Ask Me 3® is an educational program that encourages patients and families to ask three specific questions of their providers to better understand their health conditions and what they need to do to stay healthy.

A public education campaign encouraging patients to ask questions and how clinicians can facilitate this and making sure their answers can be understood.

The AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 2nd edition, can help primary care practices reduce the complexity of health care, increase patient understanding of health information, and enhance support for patients of all health literacy levels.

The guidance and tools on this page can help make your health information accurate, accessible, and actionable

Explore this collection of resources from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to learn how to implement and promote the Health Literate Care Model in your organization or community.

The Health Literacy Tool Shed is an online database of health literacy measures. The site contains information about measures, including their psychometric properties, based on a review of the peer-reviewed literature.

The Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective is a health literacy resource from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This 11-part Toolkit provides a detailed and comprehensive set of tools to help you make written material in printed formats easier for people to read, understand, and use.

The Community Tool Box is a free, online resource for those working to build healthier communities and bring about social change. Their mission is to promote community health and development by connecting people, ideas, and resources.

Refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities, also known as RIM communities, are often unequally affected by economic, social, and other obstacles to health and healthcare. This site offers health education and communication tools for RIM communities and other limited-English-proficient populations.

A joint program of the University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries and Harborview Medical Center’s Interpreter Services Department (ISD). It is a ethnic medicine website making information about culture, language, health, illness and community resources directly accessible to health care providers who see patients from different ethnic groups.

The mission of the NCCC is to increase the capacity of health care and mental health care programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems to address growing diversity, persistent disparities, and to promote health and mental health equity.

This website features information, continuing education opportunities, resources, and more for health and health care professionals to learn about culturally and linguistically appropriate services, or CLAS.