With almost 9 out of 10 American adults having significant difficulty understanding health information, we have a major problem that is not well recognized threatening the health and safety of most of our population. This 3 day conference will address this issue by disseminating evidence-based information to 335 adult literacy educators, health care providers, public health staff and a variety of other professionals with an emphasis on facilitating multi-level systems change within the field of health literacy. The meeting will enable unique learning and networking opportunities that build upon the assets of various perspectives, from academic research to medical practice to adult education. Using the methods of four previous successful conferences, we will target invitations to specific groups including physicians, public health professionals and literacy educators, invite national, regional and local speakers to summarize and communicate policy recommendations, research findings, evidence-based information, tools, and adult education interventions. Our audience will include people within organizations that have the capability to use the information to improve the outcomes, quality, access to, cost and utilization of health care services especially for low income and minority groups, women, children, the elderly and those living in rural areas.
The specific aims of the 2013 Wisconsin Health Literacy Summit: Changing Systems, Changing Lives are: 1. Disseminate evidence-based health literacy practices and interventions that can be used by the audience to address health literacy within their organization;2. Engage speakers to address health literacy systems change at the individual, organizational, societal and policy levels;3. Present the health literacy work of organizations that represent one or more of the 10 attributes of a health literate organization;4. Conduct a pre-Summit meeting to share experience and provide technical assistance for building and sustaining statewide health literacy coalitions;5. Provide conference scholarships to attract a national and regional audience including primary care practice- based network physicians, adult literacy providers, public health staff, parish nurses and free clinic administrators that will be able to apply what they learn and influence system change.
The 2013 Wisconsin Health Literacy Summit: Changing Systems, Changing Lives will bring together health literacy experts and people working to improve health literacy who will share what they know, so others may use the information to help people they serve. We will talk about health literacy policies, research findings, and education methods with a national audience of adult literacy educators, health care providers, public health professionals, and policymakers who will be able use the information so people better understand health information and improve health outcomes.
