The Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC)
at the University of Rhode Island
Faculty Development in Health Literacy
For the current GEC grant program, HRSA has identified health literacy, particularly faculty development in health literacy, as a priority topic. The Institute of Medicine and Healthy People 2010 define health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Limited health literacy is associated with decreased use of preventive care, poor understanding of verbal and written instructions, higher emergency department use, poorer medication adherence and self-care, poorer health outcomes, and increased healthcare costs. Health professionals and our health care systems share a responsibility for addressing and improving health literacy.
In order to effectively teach their students about health literacy, health professions faculty must have the requisite knowledge and skills themselves. The overall goals of RIGEC’s health literacy curriculum are twofold: (1) to enhance faculty knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to health literacy, and (2) to provide faculty with resources and strategies to develop and implement a health literacy curriculum for use in their academic and clinical teaching.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Workshop II: Legal and Ethical Issues in Geriatric Practice
Workshop III: Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Geriatric Clinical Care
Workshop IV: Understanding and Managing Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment
Registration and Cancellation Policies
