The Basics

This standard requires that your organization make sure that all its information exchanges with consumers and potential enrollees

• minimize the level of effort required to use the information,
• help consumers understand the effects of a particular health care decision might have on consumers' daily lives and
• highlight information of particular importance to the consumer.

Management Tips

The best approach to the standard involves developing a policy and procedure that provides a comprehensive approach to consumer health information content.  This is one of those standards, however, in which having a policy is required.  That policy needs to describe how consumer content is to be assessed for reading level, as well as assigned responsibility for editing consumer material.

The policy also should, in helping consumers understand the impact of decisions on the daily lives, address such issues as activity limitations or interactions between drugs and food.  Finally, this policy should be very clear about how your organization will highlight information of particular importance to consumers, whether that be through the use of yellow stickers, large font, or other highlighting mechanisms.

URAC Accreditation Tips

The three elements of this standard are weighted either 2 or 4.

For the desktop review, submit the applicable P&Ps and documentation of your use of literacy assessment tools.

The onsite review will involve a review of consumer satisfaction reports, examples of health information materials, and documented results of any literacy analyses you have performed in connection with your consumer materials.