This online training discusses how inequalities in health information contribute to unequal treatment and health outcomes for some populations (health disparities) and what communities can do to close the gap and improve health literacy. The training includes two modules.

Modules

Beyond Access: Inequalities in the generation, manipulation, and distribution of health information and the capacity to act on health information among social and cultural groups in the United States is discussed in an audio presentation by Dr. Kasiomayajula Viswanath. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. His research focuses on how inequalities in communication are associated with health disparities.

Case Studies in Culture and Health Literacy: Three local efforts to address the health literacy gap in Minnesota are discussed. These include: the ECHO Project (Emergency Preparedness with Cultural Communities), PhotoVoice, and the Urban Health Agenda Community Advisory Committee (UHACAC). These projects represent cutting-edge work related to health literacy targeting cultural groups.

How to Use this Training

• As an educational tool for public health professionals, health care providers, health journalists, and others.
• To inform policymakers about health literacy and cultural perspectives.
• To stimulate discussion about health literacy by health related communities.

Continuing Education

This training offers .5 contact hours for each module (0.1 CEU total) of participation in a structured continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship and qualified instruction. A certificate of completion for each module will be awarded upon completion.

Acknowledgments

This online training module was developed and is supported by the University of Minnesota Midwest Center for Life-Long-Learning in Public Health (MCLPH) with partial support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), grant #6D20-HP00021-05-00.

The health literacy content for this module was developed in collaboration with The Midwest Center for Life-Long-Learning and the Division of Epidemiology, The Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

We would also like to acknowledge and thank our faculty, Kasisomayajula Viswanath, Lillian McDonald, Carolyn Garcia, and Emily Li-wen Wang for their willingness to share their insights beyond the Maternal and Child Health Summer Institute conference, via these online training modules .

Registration

Registration is free using our Online Registration System.

Already registered? Login to the modules.

For more information, please contact 612-626-4515 or cpheo@umn.edu.