Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast

Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast

Helen Osborne

Health Literacy Out Loud podcasts are a lot like radio shows. You can listen in as Helen Osborne interviews those in-the-know about health literacy. You will hear why health literacy matters and learn practical ways to improve.

Len & Ceci Doak Discuss Health Literacy’s Past, Present and Future

Len & Ceci Doak Discuss Health Literacy’s Past, Present and Future

Today’s episode is a re-airing of an important podcast first posted in 2009. It is my conversation with the husband-and-wife team of Cecelia (Cici) and Leonard (Len) Doak. The field of health literacy as we know it today builds on the strong foundation of research, practice, and advocacy that began with the Doaks. While both of them have since passed on, it is well worthwhile to listen as Len & Ceci share why health literacy mattered decades ago and why it remains so important today. Cecelia (Ce

Feb 1, • 21:49

Communication Disabilities: Making Conversations Accessible to All

Communication Disabilities: Making Conversations Accessible to All

Adena Dacy, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist. For many years, she worked with people of all ages who have communication disabilities. Dacy now is an Associate Director on the Health Care Services Team at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Her areas of interest include health literacy and access to quality care for people with speech, language, voice, hearing and/or cognitive difficulties.   Judy Crane had a long

Jan 1, • 28:53

School-Based Health Centers: Health Literacy in Action

School-Based Health Centers: Health Literacy in Action

Viju Jacob, MD, FAAP is the Medical Director and Vice President of Medical Affairs at a large Federally Qualified Health Center in Bronx, NYC. His day-to-day work includes oversight of 12 school-based health practices, 2 family practice sites, and 6 school-based dental practices. Dr. Jacob also focuses on regulatory and policy aspects of school-based healthcare at both a statewide and national level. As a new immigrant himself, Viju was user of a School-Based Health Center, having received some

Dec 1, 2024 • 24:12

Gambling Disorders and Other Addictions

Gambling Disorders and Other Addictions

Ted Hartwell is Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. The mission of this Council is to generate awareness, promote education, and advocate for quality treatment of problem gambling in the state of Nevada. Ted is in long-term recovery from his own gambling disorder and has been advocating on this issue for over 15 years. Ted also is a professional cellist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. In this podcast, Ted Hartwell talks with Helen Osborne about: Gambling disorder. Wha

Nov 1, 2024 • 23:29

Health Information Equity: Equal Access to Information that is High-Quality, Understandable, and Usable

Health Information Equity: Equal Access to Information that is High-Quality, Understandable, and Usable

Cliff Coleman, MD, MPH, is a physician and international expert in the field of health literacy. His award-winning work focuses on improving health literacy and clear communication training for healthcare professionals through systems approaches, including curriculum design and evaluation. Coleman is Professor of Family Medicine at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine and serves as Clinical Thread Director for education on health communication, professionalism, and et

Oct 1, 2024 • 25:23

Putting Health Literacy Policy into Practice: How the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub is Making This Happen

Putting Health Literacy Policy into Practice: How the Maryland Consumer Health Information Hub is Making This Happen

Cynthia Baur, Ph.D., is the Endowed Chair and Director of the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. Baur is widely recognized as a health communication expert whose work focuses on improving health literacy at the individual, family, community, and organizational levels.https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/healthliteracy/HLOL251.mp3 Prior to this position, Cynthia Baur spent nearly two decades focusing on issues of health communication, health

Sep 1, 2024 • 24:21

Family Health History: The Value of Learning about Generational Health

Family Health History: The Value of Learning about Generational Health

Joana Andoh, MD, is an ophthalmology resident at The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Andoh has a long-standing passion for both the sciences and humanities. Her interests include social determinants of diabetic retinopathy, domestic violence-related ocular injuries, and geographic healthcare disparities. Dr. Andoh is passionate about using scientific and narrative writing to elevate marginalized communities. In this podcast, Dr. Joana Andoh talks with Helen Osborne

Aug 1, 2024 • 0:00

Accessible Recreation for All

Accessible Recreation for All

Karen Foster is the Executive Director of All Out Adventures based in Massachusetts. Prior to being appointed as its Executive Director, Karen worked for this organization as a program leader. She has also been a 9th grade history teacher and school-based program administrator. Karen is certified to teach coastal kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, and has experience leading many other outdoor recreation programs. Beyond all these accomplishments, Karen is the former Vice President of the Cit

Jul 1, 2024 • 23:21

Developing Materials for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Extreme Low Literacy

Developing Materials for Adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Extreme Low Literacy

Molly Lynch, MPH, and Linda Squiers, PhD, both work within the Communication Practice Area at RTI International. Lynch has over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs with a focus on health literacy. She now directs RTI’s Audience Engagement Research Program. This includes using human-centered design principles to engage audiences in the development of communication products and interventions. Squiers has over 30 years of experience in health commu

Jun 1, 2024 • 24:45

Start by Assuming Your Audience is Smart and Savvy

Start by Assuming Your Audience is Smart and Savvy

Rohini Khillan, MPH, has been working in the field of public health policy for over a decade in both federal agencies and large nonprofit organizations. While her focus is primarily on issues of aging and disability, Rohini has worked on a variety of topics that include access to care and socioeconomic disparities. Much of her work centers on making complex health topics accessible to a variety of lay audiences through written materials and in-person communication. In this podcast, Rohini Khilla

May 1, 2024 • 22:03

Cindy Brach Talks About the Evolution of Health Literacy

Cindy Brach Talks About the Evolution of Health Literacy

Cindy Brach was the lead for health literacy and cultural competence at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and co-chaired the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Literacy Workgroup. Brach led the creation of many important health literacy tools and resources including the AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, the discussion paper, “Ten Attributes of a Health Literate Health Care Organization,” from the Roundtable on Health Literacy, and PEMAT, th

Apr 1, 2024 • 31:41

Innovative Ideas for Using AI in Health Literacy

Innovative Ideas for Using AI in Health Literacy

Aditya Tummala and Beier Nelson are Co-Founders and Executive Directors of The Health Fluency Project. Their goal is to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other technology to help dismantle barriers that prevent people from accessing health services. Tummala is an undergrad student at Harvard College studying Biomedical Engineering. His primary focus is on socioeconomic disparities that act as health care barriers in rural and marginalized communities. Nelson is also an undergrad at Harvard Co

Mar 1, 2024 • 27:25

Health in Context of People’s Lives

Health in Context of People’s Lives

Rear Admiral (RDML) Paul Reed, MD is the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a pediatrician, and a senior U.S. Public Health Service Officer. His primary responsibility is to advise the Assistant Secretary for Health on disease prevention and health promotion programs and policies. Additionally, RDML Reed provides direction and oversight for national health initiatives such as Healthy People 2030, the Dietary Guidelin

Feb 1, 2024 • 26:44

Helping Patients Prepare Lists of Questions to Ask at Medical Appointments

Helping Patients Prepare Lists of Questions to Ask at Medical Appointments

Akila Muthukumar graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a major in human developmental and regenerative biology and a minor in English. Muthukumar helped establish and lead a question-listing service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She also has done a lot of writing, including for the health and medicine website, STAT News. She hopes to combine these interests as a physician-writer. This year, Muthukumar is living in rural south India (where she recorded this podcast) a

Jan 1, 2024 • 26:13

Applying Plain Language Principles to Translated Health Materials

Applying Plain Language Principles to Translated Health Materials

Katie Leath MPH, MA, is Director of the Center for Health Literacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Leath is a passionate health communicator who brings years of experience in making health information easy to read, understand, and use. She leads a team of health literacy experts who create and edit health-related materials for patients and consumers. Leath brings to all this work her training in marketing, public health, and applied communication studies. In this podca

Dec 1, 2023 • 23:26

Creating a Documentary Film about Caregiving and Mental Health

Creating a Documentary Film about Caregiving and Mental Health

Richard Lui is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in media, technology, and business. He has served as a television news anchor at MSNBC, NBC News, and CNN Worldwide. Among his many accomplishments, Lui spent 15 years in business, serves on boards at non-profit organizations and for-profit firms, and is an ambassador for non-government organizations (NGO’s) focusing on issues of gender equality and human trafficking. Lui is author of the book Enough About Me and director of two

Nov 1, 2023 • 25:20

Health Literacy from a Systems Perspective

Health Literacy from a Systems Perspective

Greg O’Neill, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, is Director of Patient & Family Health Education at ChristianaCare in Delaware. Building on his experience in patient care as a trauma/surgical ICU nurse, O’Neill has developed a team of professionals who champion health literacy best practices systemwide and support all manner of patient education initiatives and vendor relationships. In this podcast, Greg O’Neill talks with Helen Osborne about: A systems perspective of health literacy. The value of looking

Oct 1, 2023 • 18:50

Health Literacy: Helping Patients Feel Cared For, and Cared About”

Health Literacy: Helping Patients Feel Cared For, and Cared About”

Dr. Mark V. Williams serves as Professor & Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare in Saint Louis, Missouri. Dr. Williams established the first hospitalist program in a U.S. public hospital and continues to promote the role of hospitalists as leaders in the delivery of health care. In addition, he is an active researcher whose work focuses on quality improvement, care transitions, teamwork, and the role of health literacy in t

Sep 1, 2023 • 20:23

Artificial Intelligence & Health Communication

Artificial Intelligence & Health Communication

Claire Wardle, PhD, is co-founder and co-director of the Information Futures Lab and Professor of the Practice at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Wardle is considered a leader in the field of misinformation, verification, and user generated content. Among her many accomplishments, Wardle developed an organization-wide training program about eyewitness media for the British Broadcasting Company and was a Fellow at the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard

Aug 1, 2023 • 23:39

The Language of Civility

The Language of Civility

LouAnn Bala MSN, RN, brings a background as clinical nurse educator and health coach to her work at Get Well. Her publications and research aim to improve quality and safety for patients, further the study of alternative and lifestyle medicine, and build the case for using technology to improve care delivery. Bala has created numerous patient education materials on topics about youth mental health, transmittable diseases, and civility in the workplace. In this podcast, LouAnn Bala talks with Hel

Jul 1, 2023 • 23:01

Television Ads for Medications

Television Ads for Medications

Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. is President of the National Center for Health Research, a nonprofit think tank that conducts and analyzes research on a wide range of healthcare and health policy issues. She and a team use this research to inform policies and programs that affect the health of adults and children. Among her many accomplishments, Diana Zuckerman has testified about the safety and efficacy of medical and consumer products before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, state legislative commit

Jun 1, 2023 • 25:26

The Value of Knowing Why Health Literacy Matters

The Value of Knowing Why Health Literacy Matters

Karen Komondor RN, BSN, CCRN is passionate about health literacy. This comes from knowing why understandable health communication matters so much to her, both personally and professionally. Karen is Founder and President of Health Literacy 360, LLC. Her work includes chairing health literacy programs at an urban teaching hospital, leading health literacy training sessions, and teaching about health literacy at a university level. Karen also is active in local, regional, and national health liter

May 1, 2023 • 22:45

Time Toxicity: Time that Patients Can Lose to Treatment

Time Toxicity: Time that Patients Can Lose to Treatment

Christopher Booth MD, FRCPC, is a Medical Oncologist and Health Services Researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. In his clinical practice, Dr. Booth provides care to patients with gastrointestinal cancers. His research explores issues of access, quality, and value of cancer care in Canada, India, and other nations. Dr. Booth is a well-published author and educator. He has received many accolades including the “2022 Exceptional Healer Award” from Kingston Health Sciences Centre for

Apr 1, 2023 • 22:11

Using Art to Communicate About Surgery

Using Art to Communicate About Surgery

Maria Baimas-George, MD, MPH, not only is a transplant surgeon but also the author and illustrator of The Strength of My Scars, a series of children’s books about a wide range of medical and surgical conditions. Dr. Baimas-George is passionate about the value of intertwining art and surgery to improve patient understanding, increase satisfaction, and reduce apprehension. In this podcast, Dr. Baimas-George talks with Helen Osborne about: How art and surgery are often intertwined. That includes b

Mar 1, 2023 • 24:16

Communicating About Potential Healthcare Fraud and Abuse

Communicating About Potential Healthcare Fraud and Abuse

Nicole Liebau, BSW, is Director of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) National Resource Center at the Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Inc. There are over 50 SMP projects across the United States that focus on issues of Medicare fraud, outreach, and education. In this podcast, Nicole Liebau talks with Helen Osborne about:  Fraud and abuse. What these terms mean, who it can affect, and why it’s a problem. Examples of ways to inform the public about preventing, detecting, and reporting possible

Feb 1, 2023 • 20:23

Words Matter: What We Say and Write Can Affect Health Understanding

Words Matter: What We Say and Write Can Affect Health Understanding

Elena T. Carbone, DrPH, RD/LDN, FAND is Professor of Nutrition and Associate Dean for Curriculum & Academic Oversight in the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Carbone has over 25 years of experience in health education, health literacy, and nutrition communication. Her research engages multi-ethnic communities with low health literacy skills and integrates behavioral interventions to promote health and prevent chronic disease complications. In all her teaching and resear

Jan 1, 2023 • 20:00

Wellness and Health Literacy

Wellness and Health Literacy

Teresa Wagner DrPH, RD/LD, CHWI, has expertise in both wellness and health literacy. She is Assistant Professor in the School of Health Professions and in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She’s also Interim Director/Clinical Executive for Health Literacy at SaferCare Texas, the state’s patient safety institute. Wagner’s research focuses on alleviating health disparities in underserved communities through health and nutrition literacy. That inclu

Dec 1, 2022 • 21:33

Oral Health Literacy: How Diseases of the Mouth Affect Overall Health

Oral Health Literacy: How Diseases of the Mouth Affect Overall Health

Alice Horowitz, RDH, MA, PhD, is a Research Professor in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at University of Maryland’s School of Public Health in College Park. She was instrumental in initiating the need to address health literacy in dentistry. Dr. Horowitz’s ongoing advocacy, research, and teaching have helped professionals of all disciplines take needed action. She has deservedly received awards for her work in dental public health. In this podcast, Dr. Alice Horowitz talks wit

Nov 1, 2022 • 22:15

Bullet Points and Other Types of Lists

Bullet Points and Other Types of Lists

Genevieve Walker, PhD, is a medical writer and editor who creates plain-language educational and marketing content for patients and other health care consumers. Through her business, Bridge Health Communications, Genevieve helps organizations strategize, develop, and execute communications with patients and the public. In this podcast, Genevieve Walker talks with Helen Osborne about: How lists are used to convey a series of similar items. They include bullet points (like in this list of topics)

Oct 1, 2022 • 23:06

A Standardized Patient’s Perspective of Health Communication

A Standardized Patient’s Perspective of Health Communication

Kip Clark describes himself as being passionate about better and more meaningful communication. This belief guides his work as a standardized patient with medical students and as a podcast host and producer. Clark came to working as a standardized patient work from a background in improv comedy. He is a graduate of Kenyon College with a degree in English Literature. In this podcast, Kip Clark and Helen Osborne discuss: A “standardized patient” can be an actor who is trained to portray characte

Sep 1, 2022 • 23:13

Building Trust with Each Audience (HLOL #226)

Building Trust with Each Audience (HLOL #226)

Lenora Johnson, DrPH, MPH directs the science policy, engagement, health education, and public-facing communication initiatives of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institute of Health (NIH). This office supports and coordinates the public facing messaging and information delivery channels on behalf of NHLBI. One of the many projects Dr. Johnson works with is NIH’s Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. In this podcast, Dr. Johnson

Aug 1, 2022 • 24:03

Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Creating Content, Delivering Sessions, and Meeting Needs

Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Creating Content, Delivering Sessions, and Meeting Needs

Tedi Brash and Melissa Yan are based in Toronto, Canada. They, along with Rashmi Bhide, are authors of the terrific how-to resource, “A Guide to Developing Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Nine Steps to Success.” Brash is a Patient and Family Education Specialist at Unity Health Toronto. She works with clinical teams, patients, and families to create and curate quality, easy-to-understand health resources. Brash has a keen interest in digital education with a particular focus on content c

Jul 1, 2022 • 21:50

Health Communication in Context of Each Person’s Life

Health Communication in Context of Each Person’s Life

Christine Wilson has focused on health communication throughout her career. Her experience includes being Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Fox Chase Cancer, Vice President for Communications at the American Association for Cancer Research, and now Vice President for Advocacy Communications at the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF). Wilson brings in the patient’s voice and narrative to make complex medical and scientific concepts understandable and meaningful. In this p

Jun 1, 2022 • 20:02

Blood Testing: What Is Learned in the Lab

Blood Testing: What Is Learned in the Lab

Parul Bhargava, MD is Professor & Vice-Chair of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a pathologist with subspecialty training in hematology. Dr. Bhargava describes herself as passionate about medical education and has authored or edited numerous academic publications. In this podcast, Dr. Bhargava talks with Helen Osborne about: Diagnostic testing, laboratory medicine, pathology. How blood is like sap from a tree that flows to nearly every part of th

May 1, 2022 • 24:22

Survivors? Choosing Words about People Who Have, or Have Had, a Serious Illness

Survivors? Choosing Words about People Who Have, or Have Had, a Serious Illness

Dr. Emily Tonorezos is Director of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship which is part of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. Dr. Tonorezos leads NCI’s efforts to address challenges facing cancer survivors and their families. These efforts include preventing or mitigating adverse effects and improving the health and well-being of cancer survivors and their loved ones. In this podcast, Dr Tonorezos talks with Helen Osborne about: Issues to consid

Apr 1, 2022 • 18:47

Communicating When Vision is a Concern

Communicating When Vision is a Concern

Joe Weisse is co-coordinator for the Low Vision Support Group of Natick for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Now retired, for 33 years Weisse was Public Information Officer for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Using his communications background, Weisse is a longtime Amateur (ham) Radio operator making contacts with stations around the world. In this podcast, Joe Weisse talks with Helen Osborne about: Degrees of vision loss and blindness. These inclu

Mar 1, 2022 • 19:19

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing

Laura A. Saunders, MSSW is a social worker with expertise in Motivational interviewing (MI). She works with University of Wisconsin-Madison at the Great Lakes Addictions, Mental Health, and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers. Saunders leads motivational interviewing workshops for professionals in many fields including health care, education, human services, public health, and criminal justice. She is an active member of the international group of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers

Feb 1, 2022 • 22:20

Making Materials Relatable and Readable

Making Materials Relatable and Readable

Paula Worby (pictured on the right) and Miriam Lara-Mejia both work at Hesperian Health Guides, a non-profit publisher best known for the book Where There Is No Doctor that is used throughout the world. Hesperian has more than a dozen books on a broad range of health topics and makes almost all of that content available free online and in multiple languages through its HealthWiki platform. Hesperian also offers free mobile apps focused on reproductive health. Miriam Lara-Mejia is the Spanish Con

Jan 1, 2022 • 21:51

Switch to the Fountain App