Find Training | Health Literacy | CDC

Find Training | Health Literacy | CDC

Find Training

Many organizations and people all have a part to play in improving health literacy in our society.

Training in health literacy, plain language, and culture and communication is essential for anyone working in health information and services. Whether you are new to these topics, need a refresher, or want to train your entire staff, the following courses are a good place to start.

You will also find curricula and materials to help train and educate adults about health, communicating with healthcare professionals, and finding reliable information sources.

Please send your comments and suggestions about other training courses or needs.

Training from CDC

CDC offers five online health literacy courses for health professionals. We recommend that you take the introductory course “Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals” first and “Writing for the Public” second. The other courses can be taken in any order, depending on your interests.  

• Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals (free continuing education)
• Writing for the Public (printable completion certificate)
• Using Numbers and Explaining Risk (printable completion certificate)
• Creating Easier to Understand Lists, Charts, and Graphs (printable completion certificate)
• Speaking with the Public (printable completion certificate)

CDC also offers a consumer and patient communication skill-building module, Good Questions for Good Health. It encourages question-asking and provides strategies for formulating and asking questions before, during, and after medical appointments. The Toolkit includes a presentation,presentation notes, skill building activity, take-home handout, and an evaluation form.

Listen to Dr. Rima Rudd, health literacy expert, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explain health literacy.

Training from Organizations other than CDC

Culture and Health Literacy Modules

(Source: University of Minnesota School of Public Health 2011)

• Description: This online course discusses how inequalities in health information contribute to health disparities and what communities can do to close the gap and improve health literacy.
• Length: Not provided.
• Continuing Education: Not provided.
• Cost: Free

Effective Communication Tools for Healthcare Professionals

(Source: Health Resources and Services Administration)

• Description: The purpose of the course is to improve health care professional’s ability to communicate with patients and overcome barriers that can keep patients from taking their medications properly, unnecessary emergency room visits and hinder full benefit of the quality care you provide. This course also will help you acknowledge cultural diversity, address low health literacy and accommodate low English proficiency.
• Length: It is estimated to take a total of 5 hours to complete modules 1-5.
• Continuing Education: Not provided.
• Cost: Free

Health Literacy and Communication for Health Professionals

(Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center)

• Description: This inter-professional course will help educate a variety of health professionals about health literacy efforts and improved communication skills. The course consists of 8 modules.
• Length: 8 weeks of study, 3-6 hours of work per week
• Continuing Education: Not provided. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.
• Cost: Free

Health Literacy and Public Health

(Source: New York-New Jersey Public Health Training Center)

• Description: This training introduces the concept of health literacy, provides strategies for considering literacy when creating public health messages for the general public and provides strategies for considering literacy in direct public health services to the public.
• Length: Not provided
• Continuing Education: This training offers 3 Category I CECH in health education; 3 contact hours in nursing continuing education; 3 hours in Category One CME
• Cost: Free

Health Literacy Workshop

(Source: National Education Association 2001)

• Description: This online workshop helps educators at all grade levels learn how to build health literacy across curricula areas and where to go for additional training.
• Length: 1.5 hours
• Continuing Education: Not provided.
• Cost: Free

Preventing Adverse Drug Events: Individualizing Glycemic Targets Using Health Literacy Strategies

(Source: HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

• Description:  This is an eLearning course that teaches health care providers how to use health literacy strategies to reduce hypoglycemic adverse drug events (ADEs) in patients with diabetes.
• Length: Not provided
• Continuing Education: 1.5 CME credits; 1.3 CNE credits; .1 CEU credits; and .1 CPE credits. 
• Cost: Free