Health Literacy, Cultural Competency, and Sustainability

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Title V, defines health literacy as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions. We can do better in designing and presenting health information and services that people can use effectively. We can build our own health literacy skills and help others—community members, health professionals, and anyone else who communicates about health—build their skills too.

Health Literacy Resources

Obtaining, communicating, processing, and understanding health information and services are essential steps in making appropriate health decisions; however, research indicates that today's health information is presented in ways that are not usable by most adults.

CDC: Clear Communication Index
The index is a research-based tool to plan and assess public communication materials.

CDC: Health Literacy
This site provides information and tools to improve health literacy and public health.

Tools for Making Written Materials Clear and Effective
The Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective is a health literacy resource from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

PlainLanguage.gov
This website focuses on improving communication from the federal government to the public.

Cultural Competency Resources

Effective health communication is as important to health care as clinical skill. To improve individual health and build healthy communities, healthcare and public health professionals need to recognize and address the unique culture, language, and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities.

CDC: Cultural Competence
CDC’s Public Health Communication Planning Framework includes steps to achieving culturally competent communication strategies.

Center for Linguistic and Cultural Competence in Health Care (CLCCHC)
The mission of CLCCHC is to collaborate with federal agencies and other public and private entities to enhance the ability of the health care system to effectively deliver linguistically appropriate and culturally competent health care to limited English-speaking populations.

National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC)
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.

Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT)
TACCT is a self-administered assessment tool that can be used by medical schools to examine all components of the medical school curriculum.

Sustainability Resources

Effective health communication is as important to health care as clinical skill. To improve individual health and build healthy communities, healthcare and public health professionals need to recognize and address the unique culture, language, and health literacy of diverse consumers and communities.

Program Sustainability Assessment Tool
The Program Sustainability Assessment Tool is a 40item self-assessment that program staff and stakeholders can take to evaluate the sustainability capacity of a program.

The Center for Civic Partnerships
The Center for Civic Partnerships is a support organization that strengthens individuals, organizations, and communities by facilitating learning, leadership development, and networking.

A Sustainability Planning Guide for Health Communities [2.81 MB, 120 pages]
This guide provides the science- and practice-based evidence to help public and community health professionals develop a sustainability plan and learn key sustainability approaches like policies, partnerships, organizational strategies, and communication plans.