ACP Foundation health communication conference to discuss literacy, technology, & ethnic disparities

November 17, 2003 in Washington, DC

With rapidly improving treatments and developments in medicine, health concerns of today center on low levels of public health literacy, the function of technology in health, and communication between the physician and patient. In a forum to discuss these and other important health issues, the American College of Physicians Foundation presents Strategies to Improve Health Care by Removing Communication Barriers, co-sponsored by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This second national health communication conference by the ACP Foundation and the IOM will focus on operational programs in both the private and public sectors that are seeking to reduce barriers to effective communication.

Some of the major issues to be addressed at this conference are:

• Health Literacy,
• The Role of Technology in Health Care Communication,
• Communication Obstacles Resulting from Cultural Diversity,
• Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, and
• Discovering Funding Sources for Health Communication Projects.

Thought leaders in the field of health communication who are involved in improving health care communication, as well as government officials, media representatives, and leaders of organized medicine and other clinical disciplines will gather from around the country at the National Academy of Sciences to discuss current issues. The Institute of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are among the highly esteemed organizations that will be represented at the conference. Conference participants will have a unique opportunity to directly communicate with the presenters and other field experts during affinity lunch sessions. These moderated conversations will be led by experts in various fields relating to health communication and will serve as an opportunity for all interested in improving health care communication to share ideas and ask questions of the conference's thought leaders.

The conference's goal is to spotlight the importance of communication among all participants in public and private health care systems. Emphasis will be placed on how the management of chronic disease is impacted by cultural differences and language barriers among patients, physicians, and other health professionals.

The conference will begin at 8:30 AM and run until 3:30 PM. Those interested in attending should contact the Foundation for more information toll free at 877-208-4189 or via email at bmchenry@acponline.org. Registration may also be completed on the Foundation's website at http://foundation.acponline.org/healthcom/hcc_reg.htm.

The American College of Physicians Foundation is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to improve the health of the public through the creation and support of programs in education, research, service, and professionalism. The primary programmatic focus of the ACP Foundation is the Health Communications Initiative, which undertakes projects to improve the quality of health care through enhanced communication, with emphasis on the aging population and those with chronic disease. With this initiative, the Foundation seeks to improve patient care through more effective communication, incorporate communication skills and strategies into medical education and improve the health of the public through communication about health promotion, disease prevention, health literacy, and disparities in health status and care. For more information about the ACP Foundation visit their website at http://foundation.acponline.org or email foundation@acponline.org.