Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.
Updates: Reviewed Skills and Workplace Notes
We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.
We continue to process skill reviews received as a part of our second skill review push up to and including March 8th, 2024.
Reviewed: New Workplace Note
- Assisting With Needle Thoracostomy
- Preventing and Treating Fluid and Electrolyte Imbalances
- Testing for COVID-19
- Preventing Surgical Risk Factors Related to Fluid-Electrolyte Status
- Using a Fall Risk Assessment Tool
- Managing Patients After Chemical Exposure
- Initiating Transcutaneous Pacing in Adults
- Performing Initial Assessment of Full-Term Laboring Patients
Reviewed: No Workplace Note
- Using a Gastric Feeding Tube for Continuous Feeding
- Assessing False Labor Braxton Hicks Contractions
- Monitoring Patients During First Stage of Labor
- Assessing and Monitoring Patients With Acute Skull Fracture
- Administering Oral Rehydration Therapy to Children and Adolescents
- Inserting a Winged-Needle Catheter
New Custom Skills
- Using the PronatorPlus™ (Melior Motus) for Positioning, Repositioning and/or Lateral Transfer
- Skin and Wound Care: Performing a Wound Culture and Susceptibility Swab (C&S)
Health Promotion in March and Dynamic Health Topics
March 2024 marks the promotion of:
- Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- National Poison Prevention Week, March 19th to 25th
In recognition of these health promotion events, we encourage you to engage with the curated list of Dynamic Health content below.
If you spot any Skills below that you feel need a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form with your notes and we will get in touch!
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- Skills/Procedures
- Disease Overviews
- Care Interventions
- Signs & Symptoms
National Poison Prevention Week
The Atlantic Canada Poison Centre provides our local guidance on poisoning information. Dynamic Health content may be used in combination with their recommendations.
- Skills/Procedures
- Disease Overviews
- Care Interventions
- Signs & Symptoms
Dynamic Health Project Team
Gloria Connolly, RN, BScN, NCA, WOCC(c), GNC(c)
Clinical Nurse Educator, (CNE)
Interprofessional Practice & Learning
Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response
Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services
Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office
Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services
In honour of health literacy month last October, we shared some of the ways low health literacy can impact patient outcomes and our health system. To add to this information, we've compiled a list of communication strategies to help health care staff and providers build health literacy into their daily routines. These strategies aim to:
Universal Precautions Approach
The universal precautions approach, which assumes that everyone may have difficulty understanding (Seidel, Cortes & Chong, 2021), is an easy way to accommodate differing levels of health literacy in our interactions with the public. Since you can’t gauge someone’s understanding just by looking at them or speaking briefly with them, focus instead on communicating with everyone clearly. This can increase their understanding and engagement.
The language used in the health field is not commonly used in everyday conversations. Even those with higher levels of education may not understand what their diagnosis means. Remember, everyone benefits from clear communication (Glick, Brach, Yin & Dreyer, 2019). It is best to use simple, clear language to avoid any opportunity for misunderstanding, both at the point-of-care and in all written communication.
Strategies for communicating clearly
At the point-of care, remember to:
When sharing written information, including appointment letters, discharge summaries, or patient education materials, make sure your content follows these guidelines:
In Canada, research shows that people most likely to have low literacy include:
Canadian Council on Learning (2006, 2008), Council of Ministers of Education,
Canada & Employment and Social Development Canada (2017)
Nova Scotia Health provides the following tools to help with language barriers
Language Services
Oral translation of information:
Written translation of information:
French
Mervat Ismail, Provincial French-Language Services Consultant
Tel: 902-220-7886
Email: Mervat.Ismail@nshealth.ca
All languages other than French
Nicole Holland, Interpretation and Language Services Coordinator
Tel: 902-473-1909 or 902-219-2551 (cell)
Email: Nicole.Holland@nshealth.ca
Would you like to learn more about health literacy in health care?
Register for the upcoming Education and Training session or request a custom session for your colleagues or team.
References
1. Canadian Council on Learning. (2006). Never too old to learn: Seniors and learning in Canada. http://en.copian.ca/library/research/ccl/lessons_learning/never_too_old/never_too_old.pdf
2. Canadian Council on Learning. (2008). Health literacy in Canada: A healthy understanding. Canadian Council on Learning. http://www.en.copian.ca/library/research/ccl/health/health.pdf
3. Council of Ministers of Education, Canada & Employment and Social Development Canada. (2017). Skills proficiency of immigrants in Canada: Findings from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Retrieved from: https://www.piaac.ca/docs/PIAAC%202012%20Immigrants%20Canada%20Final%20EN.pdf
4. Bartlett, S., Dezii, C., & Sandt, K. (2020). The Universal patient language: A set of resources and tools to design patient communications that support better health literacy. Studies in Health Technology & Informatics, 269, 264–274. https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI200041
5. Brach, C., & Harris, L. M. (2021). Healthy People 2030 health literacy definition tells organizations: Make information and services easy to find, understand, and use. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(4), 1084–1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-06384-y
6. Brach, C., Keller, D., Hernandez, L., Baur, C., Parker, R., Dreyer, B., Schyve, P., Lemerise, A., & Schillinger, D. (2012). Ten attributes of health literate health care organizations. NAM Perspectives, 02(6). https://doi.org/10.31478/201206a
7. Farmanova, E., Bonneville, L., & Bouchard, L. (2018). Organizational health literacy: review of theories, frameworks, guides,and implementation issues. Inquiry: A Journal of Medical Care Organization, Provision and Financing, 55, 46958018757848. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958018757848
8. Glick, A. F., Brach, C., Yin, H. S., & Dreyer, B. P. (2019). Health literacy in the inpatient setting: Implications for patient care and patient safety. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 66(4), 805–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2019.03.007
9. Seidel, E., Cortes, T., Chong, C. (2021). Strategies to improve organizational health literacy. Patient Safety 101 Primer, Patient Safety Network. https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer/strategies-improve-organizational-health-literacy
10. Smith, P. D., Martin, B., Chewning, B., Hafez, S., Leege, E., Renken, J., & Ramos, R. S. (2018). Improving health care communication for caregivers: A pilot study. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 39(4), 433–444. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2016.1188810
Kallen Rutledge
Librarian Educator, Patient Education Pamphlets Lead
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone
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