Press Briefing to Release Two New Reports to Help Improve Health Literacy for 90 Million Americans

4/1/2004

From: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 301-427-1855, Web site: http://www.ahrq.gov

News Advisory:

WHAT: Press briefing to discuss the findings of two new reports: an evidence review published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at the request of the American Medical Association called Literacy and Health Outcomes and a report by the Institute of Medicine called Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Experts will discuss the latest efforts to measure the problem of health literacy, to gauge whether Americans with lower literacy skills have worse health outcomes as a result, and to suggest possible remedies.

WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 1:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: Murrow Room, National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC

WHO:

-- Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

-- Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., president, Institute of Medicine

-- John C. Nelson, M.D., M.P.H., president-elect, American Medical Association

Note to reporters who are not based in Washington, DC: Reporters may participate in the briefing by telephone by calling 1-888-323-2711 and using "health literacy" as the password. To guarantee a spot, please dial in by 1:15 p.m. Callers will be placed on a "listen only" status during the event, and there will be time allowed at the end of the briefing for questions. For additional information or to request an embargoed copy of the AHRQ evidence report, please call 301-427-1539. For an embargoed copy of the IOM report, please call 202-334-2138.