A Skill-Based Approach for Health Literacy Education in Chiropractors

Functional health literacy is defined as the ability to read, write, and speak about health. Chiropractors need to know and be able to do health literacy to advance their field and to translate evidence-based interdisciplinary content outside their field into their professional practice. That fact argues for health literacy education as an essential component of professional development. However, the real deal is whether health literacy is understood and used by the lay public so they can learn about their own self-care during chiropractic care interactions. The goal of this presentation is to establish the different types of health literacy, recognize the connections between oral, written, and body language in chiropractic care, and then adapt key chiropractic information into plain language for a low literacy audience. When chiropractors understand the profile of their clients in the context of health literacy research, the public face of chiropractic has the potential to improve in the clinic and in the professional literature.

At the end of this educational session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize one or two types of health literacy in their current practice;
• Apply two skills (or strategies) for plain language communication and health literacy; 
• Value the need for health literacy education in chiropractic care and professional development.

The following states require the participant to enter the course approval number on their certificate: 

• Missouri: View the list of course approval numbers and categories for Missouri approved courses.