Articles
For 10 years Helen Osborne was a columnist for On Call magazine, published by a division of Boston Globe Media. Her monthly “In Other Words…” column focused on many aspects of health communication, patient education, and health literacy. Sadly, the magazine stopped being published in 2009. Happily, many of the articles are still timely and relevant. Below are about 100 of Helen’s columns. They are listed in chronological order. To find what you need, enter key terms in the search box on the upper right.
- Health Literacy: What It Is, Why It Matters, How You Can Help January 30, 2000Helen Osborne gives an overview about health literacy and shares how-to best practices that your audience can use right away. This presentation works well as a stand-alone keynote (plenary) address or an introduction to workshops that follow. Content is tailored for audiences of all sizes and levels of health literacy savvy. Topics include: Why health information is difficult to understand Health literacy definitions and examples Factors that affect health ...read more >>
- Making Sure It Works: Documenting Patient Education January 1, 2000Article from the Boston Globe’s On Call Magazine, January 2000 By Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTR/L President of Health Literacy Consulting Not only do health professionals need to be excellent teachers, they must also be attentive to how they document what they have taught. In her book The Practice of Patient Education (1997, Mosby-Year Book), Barbara Redman says, “Patient education is now ...read more >>
- Teaching with Pictures November 1, 1999Article from the Boston Globe’s On Call Magazine, November 1999 By Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTR/L President of Health Literacy Consulting What’s in a picture? When your object is to get across messages your audience need for their health, the answer is lots. Healthcare information is traditionally communicated through the written and spoken word. But these are not the only, or ...read more >>
- Literacy and the Older Adult October 1, 1999Article from the Boston Globe’s On Call Magazine, October 1999 By Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTR/L President of Health Literacy Consulting When there is a lot to learn, there is also a lot healthcare professionals can do to help seniors learn it. Mrs. Jones is a 78-year-old woman who has worked most of her life and who values her independence. She ...read more >>
- Communicating with People From Other Cultures August 1, 1999Article from the Boston Globe’s On Call Magazine, August 1999 By Helen Osborne, MEd., OTR/L President of Health Literacy Consulting Cultural values, beliefs, and assumptions influence healthcare. In every clinical encounter, providers decide what to say and what not to say, who to include in important discussions, how to provide patient teaching, and when to schedule follow-up care. When providers ...read more >>
In the Press
- Book Marketing Mentors podcast June 15, 2018Book Marketing Mentors podcast features Helen Osborne who discusses the experience of taking a book from a traditional publisher to doing so on her own. Listen to Helen’s podcast conversation with Susan Friedmann, “How to Go from Traditional to Self-Published.” Order your copy of the book they’re discussing, Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical ...read more >>
- October is Health Literacy Month October 5, 2016In this blog about public libraries, Helen Osborne highlights ways everyone can help improve health understanding. She includes tips for those working in libraries, overseeing libraries, and visiting libraries. Article published in WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries.read more >>
- 8 ways to help people be better patients May 7, 2016Helen Osborne writes about ways that teachers, family members, and friends can help people be better patients. Published in the online journal EPALE, from the European Commission.read more >>
- Health Literacy Month Gets a Boost from Payers October 22, 2014HealthLeaders Media has a wonderful article about health literacy and health plans, written by Christopher Cheney. Helen Osborne is quoted throughout. The article is Health Literacy Month Gets a Boost from Payers.”read more >>
- HuffPost Healthy Living June 3, 2013Simple Tips for Creating Patient-Friendly Health Materials,” by Erin Marcus MD. Helen Osborne is cited several times along with other health literacy experts.read more >>
- Why Some Patients Aren’t Following Your Instructions May 29, 2013Why Some Patients Aren’t Following Your Instructions,” By Neil Chesanow, Medscape Today. Helen Osborne is quoted throughout this article about an epidemic of miscommunication.read more >>
- College & Undergraduate Libraries April 2, 2013Information Literacy Beyond the Library. Health Literacy: A National Responsiblity – Our Brother’s Keeper,” by Lana Jackman. Based on an extensive interview with Helen Osborne about the current state of health literacy.read more >>
- What’s Your Health IQ? April 29, 2011What’s Your Health IQ? Article by Lara Salahi for ABCNews.comread more >>
- Plain Language Matters March 12, 2010“Making Numbers Make Sense,” by Helen Osborne. A guest blog for the Center for Plain Language.read more >>
- CureToday.com December 24, 2009Layman’s Terms: How to Translate the Language of Cancer, by Charlotte Huff. Helen Osborne was quoted extensively in this article published in the Winter 2009 edition of CureToday.comread more >>
- The More You Know: How Much Is Enough When It Comes to Cancer Information? December 24, 2009The More You Know: How Much Is Enough When It Comes to Cancer Information? By Helen Osborne CureToday.com, Winter 2009read more >>
- CUREtoday.com November 3, 2009“Do You Understand Your Diagnosis? Kathy LaTour, editor-at-large for CURE Media Group blogs about Helen Osborne’s work in health literacy and how it affects people with cancer.read more >>
- Pennsylvania State Senate October 6, 2009The Pennsylvania State Senate has proclaimed October as Health Literacy Month. Thank you for being a health literacy champion, Senator Kitchen.read more >>
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