Making Numbers Make Sense
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Health
Literacy: 4.01.2018
Health
information is filled with numbers. This includes concepts of quantity, time,
and risk. But many people struggle to understand such numbers. This month’s
Health Literacy How-To Tip has a dozen (12) ways to communicate numbers that
can help others better understand. Some how-to tips also have links for you to
listen and learn more.
Quantity:
1.Confirm
which measurement system to use, such as ounces or grams. Learn more by
listening to my Health Literacy Out Loud (HLOL) podcast interview with Dr.
Benard Dreyer and Dr. Shonna Yin
discussing their “Research About Using the Millileter as a Standard Unit
for Liquid Medication.”
Time:
5.Schedule
medication around a person’s daily habits, such as “Take 1 pill after brushing
your teeth in the morning and 1 pill after brushing your teeth at night.” Learn
more by listening to my podcast interview with Dr. Andrea Apter, “Health Numeracy, Helping Patients Understand Numeric
Concepts.”
Risk:
9.Provide
context, such as stating what a person’s cholesterol level is now versus last
year, or how this level compares to other patients of the same age. Learn more
by listening to my HLOL podcast interview with Sally Bigwood, “Presenting Data That Works for Most People, Most of the Time.”
Let’s
make this a “baker’s dozen” of 13 how-to ideas.
13.Be
flexible about writing rules. Really, it’s okay to write “7” rather than
“seven.” READ
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