Making Healthcare More Client Friendly

    It is easy for healthcare professionals to use medical terminology when explaining a diagnosis, since it is the most accurate description of what is happening with a client or patient, but it is important to remember who the audience is and what their "health literacy" is.  "Health literacy" is an individuals ability to comprehend medical and health related information. In Professor Flick's lecture, she explained the importance of discovering the best delivery method of the information for the client, whether that be through audio, something visual, or through something they can read. It is important to communicate with the client about what they need so they do not feel embarrassed and withhold the fact they cannot understand what is being told to them. As we saw in a video that was presented during this lecture, it is vital that clients and patients understand paperwork and other things that are designed to inform them of their diagnosis and recommendations, because without that understanding they may be signing things away without the intention to or simply the knowledge that it had been done.

   From this Professor Flick's lecture I also learned about the institute for healthcare improvement triple aim, which looks at improving the patients experience of care, improving the health of populations as a whole, and reducing the per capita cost of health care. These are important for occupational therapists because it is important to individualize care to each patient since we have a client-centered approach and by doing this which should aim to maximize the experience as a positive experience. Occupational therapists also address the health of populations by doing community based health where we go out into the community to do screenings. I can see how occupational therapists are already working to improve the healthcare they provide to their clients to improve not only the client's health but also their experience of healthcare.