Reference no: EM133537027

Assignment: Health Literacy

Part I: 1 page

Janet is the health care administrator at a major hospital who is tasked with addressing an issue with recent prescription requests of a particular drug and complaints of overdoses in patients seen in the last three months. This issue is a top priority, not only for patient safety, but also because this prescription drug has received extensive marketing and promotion in the hospital over the past three months. Patients are now complaining that the marketing that promotes the prescription drug as being extremely safe is a direct lie. After speaking with several of the patients and providers of care, Janet has requested copies of each prescription ordered for the patients who have been screened.

After poring over hundreds of prescription orders, Janet has arrived at three conclusions. All overdoses occurred in one department with four providers who primarily see and treat patients that are non-native English speakers and who do not have family members or relatives at home to assist with providing care. Specifically, Janet notices that the issue is linked with the directions on the quantity of medication administered and that this quantity has been misinterpreted by the patients who have suffered an overdose. With a solution in mind, Janet is calling the department and pharmacy to implement a fix to avoid potential overdoses within the next few hours.

In what ways might health literacy account for the issues described in the scenario? What considerations should you keep in mind as a health care administrator to ensure that marketing of programs or services are consistent with the health literacy levels of your target population?

Part II: 2 pages

In what ways might health literacy affect an agency's marketing plan to promote health care services or health care delivery?

Before marketing a health care service or program, health care administrators must first consider the target audience that will most likely use the service or program. In identifying the target audience, the health care administrator also must determine the health literacy of the target audience and devise strategies to market the service or program appropriately within this respective target audience. Therefore, the ability of the target audience to decipher the health message, determine the service or program being offered, and identify how to best access this service or program represents the important considerations that inform how the message should be communicated.

Consider what impact the health literacy of your intended target audience might have on your plan. Reflect on how you will determine your target audience's health literacy and what considerations you will need to address in your plan.

Question A. Describe the health literacy of your target audience for your marketing plan.

Question B. Explain how your marketing plan will address the health literacy of your target audience.

Question C. Describe two strategies you might take to best tailor the messages in your marketing plan to promote uptake within your target audience and explain why.