Wingra Clinic Hosts Health Literacy Class

Over one-third of adults in the US struggle with health literacy: the ability to understand, process, and communicate health-related information.

It’s a big problem in primary care—one that not only affects healthcare quality, but also drives up costs. In Wisconsin alone, clinicians lose $3.4 billion each year due to patients’ lack of health literacy.

This past fall, the Wingra/Access Family Medical Center got to be part of the solution. Through a partnership with Madison’s Literacy Network, the clinic hosted a free 12-week health literacy class for people throughout that South Side community.

Establishing a Community Partnership

According to Clinic Manager Terri Carufel-Wert, the Literacy Network approached Wingra Clinic last summer about hosting the class.

Over the past three years, the Literacy Network has partnered with healthcare organizations to host the class, but this was the first time it was held in a clinic during normal business hours. (In addition to Wingra Clinic, last fall’s class was also held at GHC Hatchery Hill and Dean East Clinic.)

It was a good match, said Carufel-Wert. “The Literacy Network is just down the street from us, and class participants are from the neighborhood. A lot of our patients were in the class.”

The Literacy Network promoted the class in the community through flyers, at health fairs, and on La Movida, Madison’s Spanish radio station. It also funded childcare for participants in space donated by Madison Public Library’s South Madison branch.

Hands-on Learning

Carufel-Wert said that the overall goal of the class was to teach patients for whom English is a second language how to access healthcare appropriately, communicate better with medical staff, take medication safely, and make good health decisions.

Beth Gaytan, health literacy director at Literacy Network, developed the class curriculum based on a text developed by a literacy council in Florida. It emphasizes hands-on learning in addition to general discussions on how the health care system works, how to communicate symptoms, and how to read medicine labels.

“The class included many visitors, presentations, and opportunities for participants to ask questions,” Gaytan said. “We try to keep it active—that’s one of the best practices of adult education.”

Students from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the UW School of Pharmacy served as teaching assistants. A physician, social worker, nursing supervisor, and pharmacy resident from the Wingra Clinic also led individual sessions.

The class culminated in a mock clinic, in which participants filled out a new patient form, had their blood pressure taken, practiced describing symptoms, and reviewed sample prescriptions.

The end of the class emphasized nutrition and healthy living. Students toured Willy Street Co-op and received a $20 gift card to purchase healthy food.

‘An Enriching Experience’

Everyone involved with the class—participants and providers alike—agree that it was a resounding success.

“This class has been a wonderful, enriching experience,” said Carufel-Wert. “It provided our staff with a wonderful opportunity to reach out to members of the surrounding community, help them gain knowledge about effectively utilizing health care, and learn what it may be like trying to navigate a complicated health system in a second language.”

Carufel-Wert said that the Wingra Clinic would host the class again if future funding support became available. (Expenses for the fall class were supported in part through a grant from Humana.)

“We were really happy to work with the Wingra Clinic,” agreed Gaytan. “We serve the same people, so it’s a natural fit.”

In the Spring 2012 semester, the Literacy Network is offering the class at St. Mary’s Hospital, UW West Clinic, and GHC Hatchery Hill.