Primary Care Patient Education Manual

The Aspen Center for Patient Education (ACPE) is dedicated to the development of low-literacy patient education materials in both English and Spanish. Health literacy represents a major challenge to health care professionals with nearly half of the U.S. population at or below the ninth grade level. More than 20% of the U.S. population cannot read materials at the fourth or fifth grade level. JCAHO Patient and Family Education Standards specify that health care professionals consider their patient's literacy, education level, and language in providing health instruction. Working with a distinguished list of counsulting editors, ACPE editors create practical, hands-on patient education materials across the complete spectrum of health care at both the third and sisth grade reading level in both English and Spanish. The Primary Care Patient Education Manual provides the basis for a strong patient education system for primary care practitioners. It assists providers in helping patients practice safe, effective, and efficient self-care in conjunction with professional services. Patient information sheets explain common disorders/conditions and treatments. The manual includes a section on improving patient education and adherence in the primary care setting. The manual also includes material designed to aid primary care providers in complying with Joint Commission patient education standards.