Sample Activity

Health Literacy Public Health Forums: Partners for Action

STEP FOUR: Action Steps (15 minutes)

Ask participants to suggest action steps for public health, health care, ABE or library professionals. You might want to begin by posing the following questions:

• Based on what we’ve just heard, what steps can you take when you return to work? What steps might you be able to take within this month?

Brainstorming:

Audience brainstorming activities typically generate a rich listing of possible action steps. You may want to include some of the actions that resulted from other forums.

Below is a list of action steps taken by previous forum attendees in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Oregon:

• Convened a research action group that consisted of area adult educators, university researchers, and public health professionals (VT).
• Pilot tested health materials at a local adult education center (MA, OR).
• Incorporated family planning information in an adult education center (OR).
• Ordered additional literacy related materials (MA, OR).
• Incorporated literacy information into office of communication guidelines (OR).
• Added individuals and agencies with education expertise to state’s list of pre-qualified vendors (MA).
• Distributed information to local vendors (MA, OR, VT).
• Developed a workshop to train other health professionals on how to write in “plain language” (VT).
• Implemented a Health Literacy Forum in a nearby state (VT).

NOTE: This list will expand. Members of HALL will post actions steps and ideas sent in from departments of public health on the Harvard School of Public Health Web site at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy.