Health Literacy and Education Using Technology for People Living with HIV/AIDS

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The American Medical Association identified that poor health literacy is a “stronger predictor of a person’s health than age, income, employment status, education level and race. Recent health care reform changes have created a need to provide clear, concise and easily understandable information to individuals who enroll in new health insurance programs.” Starting in September 2014, the Maricopa County Ryan White Part A (RWPA) Program embarked on an intergovernmental partnership with Maricopa Integrated Health System to address the health literacy need of shared HIV+ clients. The partnership supported development, testing and implementation of standardized health literacy training for people living with HIV/AIDS who were transitioning to Medicaid or Federally Facilitated Marketplace Insurance plans. The team translated printed material developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid into an interactive learning experience centered on adult learning principles. Education modules utilized role play and skill practice and print materials appropriate for low literacy levels. The comprehension of the learning objectives was evaluated using a technology based system. Initial courses resulted in a 17% increase in health literacy knowledge related to basic health insurance coverage and maximizing benefits to remain healthy. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of participants rated the course satisfactory or higher