Mr Kieran Pehm, Commissioner, NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, spoke to the HARC network in April 2010 to help us consider how to improve healthcare delivery for people with low health literacy. HARC stands for the Hospital Alliance for Research Collaboration. HARC is a collaborative network of researchers, health managers, clinicians and policy makers based in NSW, Australia managed by the Sax Institute. HARC Forums bring members of the HARC network together to discuss the latest research and analysis about important issues facing our hospitals. For more information visit saxinstitute.org.au.

1. How to reduce complaints
from patients with low
health literacy?
Mr Kieran Pehm
Commissioner
Health Care Complaints Commission

2. Patient–practitioner relationship
The old model
Practitioner Patient
= Expert = lay person
Active control of Passive recipient;
interaction Accepts provider’s orders

3. Patient–practitioner relationship
What happens now?
Practitioner Patient
Active control of Passive recipient
interaction
Practitioner Patient
Shared decision - Active recipient
making
Practitioner Patient
Responding to patient Active control of
demands interaction

4. Patient–practitioner relationship
Preventing complaints
1. Being responsive to the level of health literacy
and involvement of the patient.
2. Offering access to information that is
appropriate to the level of health literacy of the
patient
3. Form and medium of information must be
appropriate to the level of health literacy of the
patient.

5. Thank you.
www.hccc.nsw.gov.au