Attachment A - Description of All Project Tasks

ATTACHMENT A: Description of All Project Tasks

Task 1: Develop a Health Information Rating System

The goal of this task is to develop a valid and reliable Health Information Rating System (HIRS). The HIRS will offer a systematic method to evaluate and compare the understandability and actionability of health education materials. Health education materials are understandable when consumers of diverse backgrounds and varying degrees of health literacy can process and explain key messages. Health education materials are actionable when consumers of diverse backgrounds and varying levels of health literacy can identify what they can do based on the information presented. This is the task for which OMB approval is being sought, and described in further detail in Supporting Statement A and B.

Task 2: Create a Library of Patient Health Education Materials

An environmental scan will be conducted to compile a very limited inventory of free, publicly available English language patient health education materials that rate well on the new HIRS and can be integrated into EHRs to demonstrate the utility of the HIRS. We will seek health education materials that are freely and publicly available, medically accurate and usable by an EHR.

Task 3: Review EHR Patient Education Capabilities and Features

Fifteen EHR vendor websites will be reviewed to understand their reported patient education capabilities and features to identify those features most pertinent to the provision of effective patient education. From those, 3 will be selected for comprehensive case studies. The case studies will be conducted of EHR systems that appear to offer the greatest potential to effectively deliver patient education via the EHR. Case-studies will include key informant interviews with up to three respondents per case study. Case study data will be synthesized to provide a summary of the effective uses of EHRs and the facilitators and barriers to deliver high-quality patient health education materials to diverse populations.

Task 4: Educate EHR Vendors and Users

The final task in the project is to educate EHR vendors and users about the capabilities of EHRs that may facilitate effective patient education; the availability of the HIRS to assess the understandability and actionability of materials; and the availability of a limited library of easy-to-understand and actionable materials. Education will be executed through existing government and industry websites, websites and e-lists of professional associations, meeting presentations, and publications.