Health & Literacy: Constructing Curriculum for Health Care Providers
A Learning Institute
October 16-18, 2008
Calgary, AB
"This Institute will invite health-care providers from every branch of health-care service, curriculum developers in health-care and adult basic education and literacy, ESL providers, administrators, policy makers and anyone with an interest or expertise. You will share promising practices, models, consider the challenges and propose new directions for grounded curriculum in health literacy for health-care providers."
See brochure for details.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Health & Literacy: Constructing Curriculum for Health Care Providers--A Learning Institute
New book: Dissonant Disabilities: Women with Chronic Illnesses Explore their Lives
Whether it is fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, bipolar disorder, arthritis or many other chronic illnesses, most women are aware of at least one female friend, family member or acquaintance who has faced these illnesses.
Anecdotally, women's stories have always circulated, but now, for the first time, Diane Driedger and Michelle Owen have compiled experiences of women with chronic illnesses from all over the world shedding light on the discrimination, stigma, power struggles, misunderstanding by medical professionals and relationship challenges that women face.
Driedger and Owen, themselves women with chronic illnesses, launched their book, Dissonant Disabilities: Women with Chronic Illnesses Explore their Lives at Ryerson University on May 30th, 2008.
"Chronic illnesses are definitely a women's issue. Many illnesses such as depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis affect women more than men. And it goes without saying that since it is mostly women who occupy the lowest rungs of the hierarchy, it is they who become sick trying to 'do it all' and it is women who are not believed and discounted when they get sick," says Diane Driedger, one of the book's editors.
Professors, students, professionals, psychologists, writers...women with chronic illnesses come together to understand their place in a society which more and more values work and productivity, and devalues sickness and fatigue.
Certain to ring a bell with those familiar with women facing these illnesses, the anthology uses personal experiences and academic research to put women's chronic illness in a social perspective.
"Because of shame, ignorance or fear of repercussions personally and professionally, women with these illnesses often do not disclose and struggle in silence instead. Unlike some physical disabilities which are visible, the needs of women with chronic illnesses are often discounted or overlooked completely," says Bonnie Brayton, National Executive Director of the DisAbled Women's Network of Canada, "This book is important as it creates an opportunity for open dialogue on an issue faced by thousands of women in Canada. This is the first step towards understanding and finally properly accommodating the needs of women with chronic illnesses in our society.
Diane Driedger is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and author of The Last civil Rights Movement: Disabled Peoples' International. A published poet, she is the co-editor of two anthologies by women with disabilities.
Michelle Owen is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Winnipeg. Her primary research interests and publications include gender, sexuality, family and disability. Most recently, Owen worked on two projects involving women with disabilities: a longitudinal study of intimate partner violence, and a participatory action research on violence in the lives of girls and young women.
Publisher: Canadian Scholar's Press Inc, Women's Press
ISBN: 978-0-88961-464-2
Price: $36.95
Format: 200pp PB 6x9
www.dawncanada.net
Monday, May 26, 2008
Healthcare providers who discuss intimate piercings earn patients' trust
Patients with genital and nipple piercings, also known as “intimate piercings,” are best served by healthcare providers who initiate positive discussions about them, according to a new article in the journal Nursing for Women’s Health.
Yet, too often, such discussions do not occur, even when treating infections and other conditions related to the piercings, due to healthcare providers’ uneasiness over this increasingly common form of body art. An estimated 30 to 50% of youth ages 18 to 23 have piercings in places other than in their ear lobes, so it is highly likely that healthcare will encounter such piercings in their patients.
An article by Cathy Young, DNSc, APRN, BC, Associate Professor at Texas Tech University’s School of Nursing and Myrna L. Armstrong, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor at Texas Tech University’s School of Nursing offers a comprehensive, practical overview of the clinical issues healthcare providers are likely to encounter related to intimate piercings. Issues range from why individuals seek and obtain such piercings to which medical procedures require such piercings to have been removed.
This study is published in the April/May 2008 issue of Nursing for Women’s Health.
Article abstract available.
New Aboriginal youth and suicide prevention website
Health Canada provided funding for the Honouring Life Network Web site under the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, a five-year $65 million strategy that seeks to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors associated with suicide through community-based programming.
Available in English, French and Inuktitut, the site contains resources for youth and youth workers, including a Youth Worker's Forum where youth workers from across the country can connect to discuss and share suicide prevention resources and strategies. Personal stories and fact sheets are also available for youth to read about specific issues that they, or their friends, might be facing. The site’s comprehensive directory of suicide prevention resources is updated regularly to help youth workers in Aboriginal communities find the most relevant and up-to-date information and material.
Visit the website at: http://www.honouringlife.ca/
Web resource features 100 examples of health care innovations and tools
A new Web resource that allows users to learn, share, and adopt innovations in the delivery of health services was launched today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The resource—called the Health Care Innovations Exchange—is available at www.innovations.ahrq.gov.
AHRQ's Health Care Innovations Exchange is the US federal government's repository for successful health care innovations. It also includes useful descriptions of attempts at innovation that failed. The web site is a tool for health care leaders, physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who seek to reduce health care disparities and improve health care overall.
Wipe Out: New documentary on traumatic brain injury and extreme sports
A new documentary asks if risk-taking is worth risking your life. Wipe Out premieres Wednesday, June 11 at 8 pm on Knowledge Network
Wipe Out tells the story of three young BC men who suffered traumatic brain injuries while pursuing extreme sports. The documentary is narrated by Olympic Gold Medalist Ross Rebagliati.
Chris Dufficy, a professional snowboarder from North Vancouver, is only now coming to terms with his ongoing memory problems – the result of multiple concussions and a traumatic brain injury he suffered when he crashed after landing a monstrous jump for a film shoot. Jon Gocer is a talented snowboarder who was looking to turn thrill seeking into a career, until a wipe out on a skateboard almost ended his life.
On Vancouver Island, Chris Tutin is defying doctors who said he would never walk again after his cerebellum was crushed in a dirt bike accident five years ago. Like Chris Dufficy and Jon Gocer, he shares his story with the hope that it will encourage kids to wear helmets, and avoid reckless risk-taking.
Wipe Out offers viewers unprecedented insight into the lives of people who are part of what doctors call the “invisible epidemic” – brain injury, the leading cause of death and disability among men under the age of 35.
Information and preview available
Tools For Decreasing Health Care Barriers
Tools For Decreasing Health Care Barriers: Accessible Health Care Briefs
The Center for Disabilities and the Health Professions Accessible Health Care series is designed to educate health care professionals, community organizations, advocates, and people with disabilities.
This series includes discussions, examples, illustrations, and resource information for improving access to health care services, programs, and products. Subjects include:
- Introduction: Tools For Decreasing Health Care Barriers
- Importance of Accessible Examination Tables
- Importance of Accessible Weight Scales
- Health Care Facilities Access
- Choosing and Negotiating an Accessible Business Location
- Barrier Removal: Improving Accessibility with Limited Resources
- Providing Information in Alternative Formats
- Accessible Web Site Design (provided by the University of Washington's Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology Center)
- ADA Resources
- Tax Incentives for Improving Accessibility
Making Preventive Health Care Work for You
Making Preventive Health Care Work for You—A Resource Guide for People with Physical Disabilities (110 pages)
Covers:
Ways to make preventive screening work for you
Can you have a disability and still be healthy?
How can you increase your odds for a healthy life?
What are your risk factors?
What is routine health screening?
Will your doctor tell you what you need?
Why is routine screening especially important for people with disabilities
Why are checkups important?
What about vaccines?
What is healthy lifestyle counselling?
How can you create your own routine screening and immunization plan?
Why is it important to have good relationships with your providers?
Should you speak up?
Why is it important to plan ahead?
How can you improve your communication with your health care providers?
The DES script: A tool for improving communication
How can you understand and remember information from visits with health care providers?
How can you be sure to get your test results?
What else should you know about routine screenings and vaccines?
Organizations and web sites
Routine preventive screening for people with disabilities: Tips for health care providers
Various tools and checklists
Available from the Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions (CDIHP) in the following versions:
Braille Ready File
Large Print version Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word Document Version
Portable Document Format (PDF) Version
http://www.cdihp.org/products.html#prevent
Emergency Health Information
Emergency Health Information [for people with disabilities]
the first in the Savvy Health Care Consumer Series
by June Isaacson Kailes
Covers:
Emergency Health Information
Why You Should Carry Emergency Health Information
Tips on Completing Emergency Health Information
Sample Emergency Health Information
Emergency Health Information [Blank form]
Available from the Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions (CDIHP)
http://www.cdihp.org/products.html#savvy
Friday, April 04, 2008
May 17th is International Day Against Homophobia
"Entitled 'Homosexuality is NOT a sickness!', the campaign is geared toward the public at large and specifically to various people who still perceive homosexuality as an illness. We request that all groups aware of LGBT issues participate to gain their support for distributing material to the general public with the aim to contribute to the fight against homophobia."--from Fondation Émergence announcement
Friday, March 28, 2008
"Recipe Analyzer" -- Dietitians of Canada
Canadians now have a new tool to help them make healthy eating choices. Dietitians of Canada is pleased to announce the launch of Recipe Analyzer.
Recipe Analyzer is a unique interactive on-line tool that offers consumers a quick and easy way to assess the nutritional value of their favourite recipes. To use the tool, visit the Dietitians of Canada website: http://www.dietitians.ca/eatwell and click on Recipe Analyzer.
Recipe Analyzer lets you enter the list of ingredients of any recipe and then get:
- A full nutrient profile for a serving of that recipe
- The number of Food Guide servings the recipe provides
- Tips on how to change the recipe to make it more nutritious.
Study shows the importance of support networks
A new study published in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that patients with a large support network of family and friends report feeling less pain and anxiety prior to having a surgical procedure, which can have a substantially positive impact on their postoperative recovery.
“Strong social connectedness can have a tremendous impact on patient recovery by helping blunt the effect of stress caused by postoperative pain, as well as ease concerns about health, finances and separation from family members,” said Allison R. Mitchinson, MPH, NCTMB, research health science specialist, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor (MI) Healthcare System.
Social network size and social connectedness have long been known to affect health and well-being. Stressful events such as having an operation can further increase the need for social support.
To read the press release, visit http://www.facs.org/news/jacs/socialconnect0208.html
Daily reading linked with higher levels of health literacy
The single best predictor of higher levels of health literacy is the act of reading every day—even more so than someone’s education—says a new report released in February by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL).
The report, Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding, reveals that daily reading outside of work is associated with higher health-literacy scores—one-third higher than the average for those aged 16 to 65 and more than 50% higher for those 66 and older.
In 2007, CCL released initial results from an international literacy survey that showed 60% of Canadians lacked the necessary skills to manage their health and health-care needs adequately.
A Healthy Understanding builds on these results and provides new, in-depth analysis examining the relationship between levels of health literacy and the reported health of Canadians.
The report found:
- Those with the lowest levels of health literacy are more than 2.5 times as likely to report being in poor or fair health as those with the highest levels.
- Across Canada, the prevalence of diabetes increases significantly as health literacy decreases. A similar link—though not as strong—is found with high blood pressure.
- The three most vulnerable populations for low levels of health literacy are seniors, the unemployed, and immigrants (especially those who don't speak French or English).
- Health literacy is more complex than previously thought; requiring prose, document and numeracy skills, often in combination for the same task.
PatientsLikeMe.com: Online community of patients, doctors, and organizations
PatientsLikeMe.com was launched in 2004 by "three MIT engineers." It is described as:
a privately funded company dedicated to making a difference in the lives of patients diagnosed with life-changing diseases. Our personal experiences with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) inspired us to create a community of patients, doctors, and organizations that inspires, informs, and empowers individuals. We're committed to providing patients with access to the tools, information, and experiences that they need to take control of their disease.For more, visit: http://www.patientslikeme.com
Patient education video and audio information
The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides a wealth of practical patient information. Especially helpful are video and audio files from AHRQ's Healthology website and Healthcare 411 series.
From Healthology:
Tips for Taking Medicines Safely (video; 5 minutes)
Next Steps After a Diagnosis (video; 8 minutes)
From Healthcare 411:
How to Ask Tough Questions of Your Doctor (audio; nearly 4 minutes)
Family Health Advocacy (audio; 10 minutes)
World Health Day 2008 Community Forum
Time sensitive
World Health Day 2008: Communities Uniting Against Environmental Destruction
A Community Forum
Wednesday April 2nd
7:00 - 9:00 PM
SFU Harbour Centre Room 1425
515 West Hastings Street
How do we achieve health for all when communities are faced with widening social and economic injustice, declining air quality, the destruction of natural environments through resource extraction and urban expansion, and intensifying wars of aggression? How are communities impacted by a mounting environmental crisis?
Join the Alliance for People's Health to mark World Health Day and learn how poor and marginalized communities around the world are fighting from the front-lines against the neoliberal policies at the root of environmental injustice. Find out how to get involved through community action for social and environmental change.
Speakers to include...
Guatemalan Mayan Community -- Leoncio Ventura & Yadira Toj
South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy -- Harjap Grewal
Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences -- Tim Takaro
Alliance for People's Health -- Dave Hendry
More speakers to be announced...
United we can build a healthy world for all!
Forum organized by the Alliance for People's Health & sponsored by the Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences
Email allianceforpeopleshealth@gmail.com
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/~aph
--
Alliance for People's Health
allianceforpeopleshealth@gmail.com
604-215-2775
672 E Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V5T 1X6
NEADS Conference November 2008: call for proposals
Time sensitive
NEADS Conference: Call for Proposals
The National Educational Association of Disabled Students
2008 national conference, "Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow"
November 14-16, 2008
Ottawa ON
Submission deadline June 5th
Visit http://www.neads.ca/conference2008
Stress Management and Epilepsy lecture
Time sensitive
Stress Management and Epilepsy
Dr. Josef Zaide and Dr. Audrey Ho
Thursday, April 17, 2008
7:00-9:00 PM
"Dr. Josef Zaide and Dr. Audrey Ho are very experienced in working with individuals with epilepsy and other neurological conditions. As well, both are long-time volunteers at the BC Epilepsy Society."
Part of the yearly Speaking of Epilepsy lecture series
Location: Chan Auditorium at BC Children's Hospital
4480 Oak Street, Vancouver
Free for current members, or $10 for non-members.
From BC Epilepsy Society Email Newsletter
March 5, 2008
Picking Up the Pieces: Moving Forward after Surviving Cancer workshop
Time sensitive
Registration required by: Friday, April 11th
Picking Up the Pieces: Moving Forward after Surviving Cancer for women with ovarian & gyn cancers
This workshop helps survivors:
- acknowledge changes
- grieve losses
- regain control
- explore possibilities
- adjust to their new normal
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Check-in: 8:30 am
Session: 9 am – 4 pm
Location: The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby, BC
Free registration includes lunch & refreshments
Limited enrollment
Registration required by: Friday, April 11th
To register: 1-877-413-7970, ext. 221
or online at http://www.ovariancanada.org
We would like to thank the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown for their generous support of this event. Rooms are available at $135.00 per night, single or double occupancy for those traveling from out of town. Tel 604-438-1200
This workshop will be facilitated by Sherri Magee Ph.D., co-author of the book
Picking Up the Pieces: Moving Forward After Surviving Cancer
Population Health Symposium: Inequities and Health
Time sensitive
Registration deadline is April 15, 2008
Population Health Symposium: Inequities and Health
April 29, 2008
8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Vancouver General Hospital
Paetzold Centre Auditorium (Jim Pattison Pavilion)
855 West 12th Avenue Vancouver, BC
The issue of growing health disparities is of paramount concern to our health system. This symposium is an opportunity to engage in an ongoing dialogue on issues surrounding the impact of the socioeconomic determinants of health. The purpose is to raise awareness of inequities, including an understanding of the research evidence and lessons from other jurisdictions. Topics will include:
- The communication of population health information
- The economic costs of poverty
- Policy options to be considered in addressing inequities
The symposium is divided into two sessions. The morning will feature a keynote session and panel discussion. The afternoon will provide more in-depth presentations on each of the three topic areas and will provide an opportunity to identify potential areas of action.
Registration is free for this event but space is limited. To reserve
your space, please register for the event online at:
https://secure.pzinternet.com/theciainc/phs2008/
For registration inquires, please contact:
Sharon Baskett
Email: sharon@theciainc.com;
Tel: 604-945-3574
Registration deadline is April 15, 2008.
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