Health Literacy, Communication, & Systems Change

1 Unit · Graduate

This course explores health literacy across personal, organizational, and systemic levels, emphasizing the critical roles of clear communication and systems change in advancing public health. Combining insights from disciplines such as sociology, user-centered design, health communications, healthcare quality, patient safety, and health policy, the course provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and improving health literacy. Key topics include plain language, motivational interviewing, teach-back methods, data visualization, risk communication, and user-centered design principles. This course focuses on tailoring messages to diverse audiences, with a strong emphasis on health equity, cultural competence, and cultural humility. Students will develop practical skills, such as rewriting health materials for clarity, critiquing data visualizations, creating process maps to identify intervention opportunities, and delivering professional presentations. Class time includes interactive lectures, in-class exercises, and small-group discussions. The course culminates in a final project where students create a user journey map, identifying opportunities to enhance health literacy and improve system processes. Designed for students pursuing careers in public health, this course equips participants with practical tools to communicate effectively and drive impactful systems change. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to apply health literacy principles to address real-world public health challenges.