Profile:
Sharon L. Youmans,
Pharm.D., M.P.H. |
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Even Dr. Sharon Youmans sometimes has trouble understanding medical text.
“I read some things and think, ‘I don’t get this,’ and I consider myself well educated,” says Youmans, an associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. “I can’t imagine how it is for someone with low health literacy.”
Through research, Youmans is trying to better understand what pharmacists must do to help patients with low health literacy take medicines correctly. She passes this knowledge on to her students. She teaches them that the answer lies in open communication — both spoken and written — and cultural understanding.
An important part of Youmans’ lesson plan is role playing. One student plays the pharmacist and one plays the patient. She tells students to listen without judgment. She has them encourage the “patients” to ask questions.
Youmans recalls one role-play session in which she asked the “pharmacists” to create a medication reminder calendar for their “patients.” One student became upset because he didn’t know where to begin. Youmans suggested he ask the “patient” what she wanted.
“Pharmacists often have action plans for patients. But we need to ask them ‘What works for you?’” says Youmans. “Otherwise, the patient may just say he or she understands. But in reality, he or she may be unable to carry out the correct instructions or suggestions at home.”
These important lessons get students ready to take part in the school’s Medicare Part D outreach program. This is where students work one-on-one with seniors to choose the most cost-effective prescription drug plan.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to practice their communication skills,” says Youmans. “Until they do that, they can’t fully understand how important it is to break down the medical jargon when working with patients.”
When she’s not in the classroom, Youmans is working on studies that look at how pharmacists can improve patient relationships and communication.
“Being able to take medication the right way is key,” says Youmans. “Many people think that just because they’re taking the pills, they’re doing the right thing. But if they’re not taking them properly, it can mean the difference between a treatment working or not working, or between having side effects or not.
“This is why it’s so important that we continue to develop training for pharmacists to improve their communication with patients. We can have the best technology and the best medication. The information required for people to take medications properly must be given in a way that patients understand it best. Anything less is unacceptable.”
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