AHEM: 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. Then, try out the tool on your own and download the free NNLM Health Literacy Playbook, checklists and other health literacy resources.  

This class is designed for anyone who creates health education materials or selects health materials to provide to consumers. It’s also useful for anyone who wants to learn how to figure out if health education materials are easy-to-read. 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

Resource URL: https://nnlm.gov/training/class-catalog/assessing-health-materials

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the benefits of assessing health education materials

2. 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).

3. Use the NLM's HEMAT to evaluate health education materials.

Agenda

This Moodle course is divided into the following sections:

Pre Knowledge-Assessment - 5 minutes

Module 1: The why and how of assessing health education materials - 20 minutes

Module 2: Evidence-based assessment tools – 25 minutes

Module 3: Using the NLM Assessment Tool - 65 minutes

Post Knowledge Assessment - 5 minutes

MLA CE Credits: 2