Health Communication Training
What kind of training does UAMS CHL offer?
New federal definitions of health literacy underscore the need for professional health communicators to equitably enable people to find, understand, and use health information. For many professionals, even those who are seasoned communicators, formal training on specific techniques for clear health communication is limited. Our training can help individuals in various roles develop knowledge and skills to effectively communicate health information in writing and in person. This helps patients and consumers understand and use the information to improve their health.
Sample training topics include:
- Health literacy and its impact on organizational objectives
- Communicating for health behavior change
- Plain language writing
- Confirming patient understanding through teach-back
- Implementing Health Literacy Universal Precautions (steps to take when you assume all patients may struggle with health information)
- Organizational health literacy
- Shared decision-making and its relationship with health literacy
How does UAMS CHL partner with clients to offer training?
In partnership with our clients, our senior team of health literacy experts tailors each learning session to meet organizational objectives.
Why choose UAMS CHL for training?
Our training programs benefit from the collective expertise of all our staff. Training is available both on-site and via distance learning, and we use a variety of instructional tools and methods to engage learners.
Who do I call to discuss my training needs?
To discuss custom training needs, email healthliteracy@uams.edu or call 501-686-2595.
Customer Testimonial
“At the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), we routinely communicate with the public and vulnerable clients on high-stakes health topics. It is vital that we relay our messages in a way people can understand and act on. To help us improve communication with the people we serve and the public, we participated in immersive training from the Center for Health Literacy on plain language writing. This training will help us provide clear information our clients need to access critical DHS services and use them to improve their own health and welfare.”
Marci Manley
Deputy Chief of Communications
Arkansas Department of Human Services
“At the clinic where I work, we need patients to be engaged with us in making important decisions regarding their health. There is a lot of talk about ‘patient engagement,’ but the Shared Decision-Making class I took from the UAMS Center for Health Literacy gave me the information I needed to turn ideas into action. I left with a much better understanding of what each member of the clinical team and the organization itself can do to facilitate good patient-provider communication. We will use the knowledge we gained to create a relationship that will increase patient engagement.”
Mary Kersey
Patient Services Coordinator
Mid-Delta Health Systems, Inc.