Resources in Tip/Fact Sheets

Health literacy – Using the teach-back technique

What is the teach-back technique? The teach-back technique is a tool that service providers can use when communicating with clients who have low health literacy. It assists service providers improve client comprehension. Steps in the teach-back technique Explain one...

Supportive systems for health literacy

Why strengthen organisational systems for health literacy? Health systems are complex. Health services can play a major role in assisting low health literacy clients to access services despite this complexity by: influencing how their services are structured  ensuring...

Interpreters: an introduction

You are here: Main Communications Interpreters: an introduction This resource is also available in pdf. Download Interpreters – an introduction (PDF) What is interpreting? Interpreting is the oral translation of speech between two different spoken languages. Who is an...

What is health literacy?

Health literacy is essential for maintaining good health and improving the quality of life. Conversely there is extensive evidence linking low health literacy to poor health outcomes. Health literacy is a concept that has been defined, measured and understood in many...

Assumptions in the communication encounter

Why is it important to consider assumptions when we communicate? Both clients and health professionals have pre-existing assumptions that they bring with them when they communicate in the health service environment. Assumptions and preconceptions are a result of...

Measurement of health literacy

Why measure health literacy? The measurement of health literacy is linked to improving client centred care in health services. Different health literacy measurement tools contribute to improving different elements of health literacy. Measuring individual health...