Getting Some Help

Getting some help

CONSUMERS and others looking for medical information that is not steeped in technical jargon or written for the highly literate have several choices available. They include:

1. Ask Me 3, sponsored by the Partnership for Clear Health Communication, offers a printable list of the three basic questions it says patients should ask at every appointment: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is that important?

More specialised information is also available for health-care providers who deal with patients who have low health literacy, www.askme3.org.


2. The Harvard School of Public Health features photonovels that are essentially photographic comic books, plain-language glossaries that define such words as "dose" and "deteriorate" and other innovative material on its Web site. Some material is designed for specific groups, such as seniors or those who want more information aboutasthma.
www.hsph.harvard.edulhealthliteracy/in novative.