Assessing Health Education Materials: clearing the way to easy-to-read health materials

Why is it important to assess health education materials? What types of health education assessment tools are available? Get an overview on assessing health materials, and learn how the National Library of Medicine uses a health education materials assessment tool to figure out if health education materials are easy-to-read. Try out the tool out on your own, then download the free NNLM Health Literacy Playbook, checklists and other health literacy resources.  

The class is fully online and asynchronous, which means you’ll work at your own pace until you finish. Content is presented through three modules and activities for practice and takes about 2 hours to complete. 

Class sections

  1. The why and how of assessing health education materials
  2. Evidence-based assessment tools
  3. Using the NLM assessment tool

This presentation addresses improving health literacy, by including information about the NLM/NIH resource NLM’s MedlinePlus Health Education Materials Assessment Tool.

Objectives

Upon completion of this class, students will be able to:

  • Explain the benefits of assessing health education materials 
  • Identify the key elements, differences, and similarities of 4 health education material assessment tools:  Clear Communications Index (CCI), Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), and NLM’s Health Education Materials Assessment Tool (HEMAT).
  • Use the NLM's HEMAT to evaluate health education materials. 
Class Materials and Resources
NNLM Health Literacy Playbook (PDF)
NLM's Health Education Materials Assessment Tool (PDF)
Checklist for Building Health Literacy Principles Into Training (PDF)
Customizable health literacy presentation (PPTX)
Class Length
2 hours

Class Owner(s)

Contact the NNLM Training Office for more information.

Class Instructor(s)

Molly Knapp, Training Development Manager, NTO

Continuing Education

Sponsored by the Network of the National Library of Medicine, a designated provider of contact hours (CECH) in health education credentialing by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., this program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) to receive Category I continuing education contact hours.

This class qualifies for Medical Library Association (MLA) Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) Level 1.

This class qualifies for Medical Library Association (MLA) Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) Level 2.

This class has been approved for Medical Library Association (MLA) continuing education credits.

This class qualifies for CHIS Level 1 and 2

CHIS Competencies

  • C5. Communication, Reference, and Instruction
  • C6. Literacy and Health Literacy

NNLM is the CNE Presenter for this class. 

Illinois CNE Sponsor: 

Medical Library Association
225 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 650
Chicago, IL 60606
License No. 236.000169

To see if your state licensing board accepts this course for credit go to https://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1703

Classes

Event Title Event Start Date Summary Continuing Education Credits CE Categories Is Online Registration
AHEM: clearing the way to easy-to-read health materials Get an overview on assessing health education materials, and learn how the National Library of Medicine uses a health education materials assessment tool to figure out if health education materials are easy-to-read in this 2 hour on-demand, online class. 2.00 CHES, CHIS Level 1, CHIS Level 2, CNE On
Event Title Event Start Date Summary Continuing Education Credits CE Categories Is Online Registration
AHEM: clearing the way to easy-to-read health materials Get an overview on assessing health education materials, and learn how the National Library of Medicine uses a health education materials assessment tool to figure out if health education materials are easy-to-read in this 2 hour on-demand, online class. 2.00 CHES, CHIS Level 1, CHIS Level 2, CNE On
Assessing Health Materials On Demand This class is closed to new registrants as of August 30th, 2023 and remains active for current students already enrolled in the online class. New learners can register for AHEM: clearing the way to easy-to-read health materials beginning September 5, 2023. 2.00 CHIS Level 1, CHIS Level 2 Off