(EMAILWIRE.COM, May 07, 2008 ) BERKELEY, CA -- For its groundbreaking development of a guidebook for seniors and people with disabilities who have Medi-Cal, UC Berkeley’s Health Research for Action received the Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s outstanding achievement in health literacy award for published materials.

The California Department of Health Care Services, which manages California’s Medicaid services, called Medi-Cal, partnered with Health Research for Action (HRA) to create and pilot test the guidebook. HRA worked with an advisory group and conducted more than a year of research with consumers and health care providers to develop an easy-to-read guidebook that helps individuals choose the Medi-Cal plan that best meets their needs. Shelley Martin, HRA’s executive director, says, “This innovative guidebook has received very positive feedback from Medi-Cal beneficiaries as well as consumer advocates and health care professionals. It deciphers the jargon. It’s an important step in explaining Medi-Cal to the people who use it.”

The Institute for Healthcare Advancement is a national leader in health literacy. It reviewed more than 80 submissions from some of the nation’s foremost health literacy authorities and researchers to select winners in the categories of Research, Innovative Programs, and Published Materials. HRA shares the 2008 Health Literacy Award (for published materials) with Aetna’s Asthma Health Literacy Study (research), and BlueCross’s CareFirst (innovative program).

Health literacy is a pervasive problem in the U.S. health care system. More than a third of Americans — 87 million — have basic or below basic health literacy skills. This means that they lack the ability to read, understand, and act on much of the health information they receive, such as medicine labels and directions for preparing for medical tests.

Health Research for Action, a center in UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, develops research-based, easy-to-use guides and websites as part of its mission to reduce health disparities and empower consumers. Visit the HRA website at: www.healthresearchforaction.org.

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Contact Information:
Health Research for Action
Beccah Rothschild
Tel: 510-642-8415
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