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feature Good Communicators get the message across HSE staff were rewarded for their efforts to communicate their messages in a clear and accessible way at this year’s Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards.
+ Pictured at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards, which took place in the Royal College of Physicians in May, were (L-R): Inez Bailey, Director of NALA; Pauline Cooley, Practice Nurse, Athenry Health Centre; and Dr Neil Boyle, Medical Director, MSD. Cooley and her team were the overall winners in Category A, Best Project in General Practice, for their project Thou Shalt Hear
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he HSE Dublin North East Health Promotion Department’s Be Active After School Activity Programme, the HSE South Cardiac Rehabilitation Working Group’s Take Heart programme and the ear care and ear wax information programme at the Health Centre in Athenry, Co. Galway were among the winners at this year’s Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards. The awards acknowledge those working in the health care setting who strive to address health literacy and communicate their message in a clear and accessible way. The entries were evaluated for how they addressed the issue of health literacy, which is a person’s ability to understand and use basic health information. The Take Heart programme comprises of a booklet also entitled Take Heart, which is used by patients before and after they have a heart operation. The publication helps patients to understand their diagnosis and make appropriate choices regarding their lifestyle following heart surgery. Margaret Byrne, Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinical Nurse Specialist said, “the booklet is unique because it involved health professionals from every acute hospital in the
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+ L-R: Emer Smyth, Dr Nazih Eldin and Eileen McEvoy, Health Promotion Department, HSE Dublin North East, who were overall winners in Category D, Best Health Promotion Project, for the Be Active After School Activity Programme
+ Margaret Byrne, Clinical Nurse Specialist; and Valerie Collender from Cork University Hospital; who were the overall winners in Category B, Best Project in a Hospital, for their project Take Heart - A Guide to Heart Surgery
Cork and Kerry region, public, private and voluntary. We wanted to make sure that this booklet would be accessible to all and that those who were given it would find it easy to read, explain their condition, help them on the road to recovery and that they would not get bogged down in health jargon.” Valerie Collender, Cardiac Rehabilitation Co-ordinator said, “the guide has improved the health literacy of our patients by making it easier for them to access relevant information and providing points of contacts which enable them to find their way through what can sometimes be a complex health system.” The ear care and ear wax information programme comprises of an information leaflet about ear care. Using plain English, it provides information in an easy-tounderstand and engaging way. Following the distribution of the leaflet, the practice carried out an audit which showed a reduction in the number of patients coming back for repeat ear-related appointments. The Be Active After School Activity Programme comprises of a 30-week structured activity programme, which introduces parents and children aged 7-8 years to a variety of activities to
sustain positive physical activity habits as children grow up. There are currently 1,200 children participating in the programme, with 300 parent leaders and 130 teacher leaders volunteering their time to facilitate the sessions. Resources for the programme, which are given free to participating schools, include 30 illustrated sessions and a handbook for teacher leaders. Where possible, the activities and formations are illustrated, and plain language is used throughout. Selected from more than 100 entries by a high-profile judging panel, the winners were announced at a special ceremony in Dublin which was attended by Dr James Reilly, Minister for Health. Speaking at the event, Dr Nazih Eldin, Head of Health Promotion in Dublin North East, said that “it is a great privilege to accept this award on behalf of the team who have worked hard to make this project a success. It is our ambition now to extend this project across the country in the coming months in partnership with the Irish Sports Council and in line with our goal to get children all over Ireland involved in physical activity and healthy lifestyles.”
07/06/2011 12:24:05