Fraser Health Patient Materials Committee

Health Literacy is a person’s ability to access, understand, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life-course.

Patient Materials Committee is a team that reviews patient forms to make sure the form’s content and design is easy to understand and relevant. The group will review any Fraser Health patient form that is being newly developed or revised. You will learn how to apply the principles of plain language and health literacy and you are encouraged to reflect on how the forms will impact the patient experience.

A process has been designed that includes the use of an assessment tool to offer patient advisors a consistent way to assess patient forms and provide feedback.

The Patient Materials Committee is actively recruiting new members to be a part of reviewing patient forms.

Forms to be sent via email to review throughout the month. Average of 3-6 forms per month.

The team also meets virtually every month via MS Teams, on the third Thursday of the month from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, to review the process and discuss recently reviewed forms.

Health Literacy is a person’s ability to access, understand, evaluate and communicate information as a way to promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across the life-course (Rootman & Gordon-El-Bihbety, 2008). Health Literacy is also the ability of professionals and institutions to communicate effectively so that community members can make informed decisions and take appropriate actions to protect and promote their health (Rootman & Gordon-El-Bihbety, 2008). In Canada, approximately 55% of working adults and 88% of adults over age of 65 have limited health literacy.

https://abclifeliteracy.ca/health-literacy/

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of Involve on the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.

Eligibility

• Have access to technology and the internet to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Comfortable using technology to attend online/virtual meetings
• An interest in improving health care services
• The time to participate in the engagement opportunity

Patient Partners ARE NOT required to be PVN members to participate in this engagement opportunity.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Meghna Kaushal Clinical Practice Consultant, Professional Practice, Patient Experience | Fraser Health (604) 613-6598 meghna.kaushal@fraserhealth.ca