According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old–about 130 million people–lack proficiency in literacy. These individuals have a reading aptitude below the sixth-grade level.
There are numerous reasons for this shocking statistic: poor education, learning difficulties, learning English as a second language, or simply lack of exposure to English. These issues are apparent across many demographics and may affect even high achievers. For example, an adult literacy program reported that one student was a well-respected cardiologist in his home country, but when he came to the United States mid-career, he was not able to read and write English.
There are four learning styles:
- Auditory (listening)
- Reading (comprehending written materials)
- Visual (seeing)
- Hands-on (kinesthetic or learning by doing)
For individuals who do not have a good command of English, verbal explanations may not be clearly understood. Those with underdeveloped reading skills may have difficulty reading printed instructions or patient education information on a website.
This problem is compounded because it is not uncommon for people to be embarrassed by their lack of reading ability. Stories abound of adults hiding their illiteracy or procrastinating for years before enrolling in a reading program, which are often taught be volunteer tutors. There are patients in your office every week who sign forms and appear to understand spoken and written instructions but who do not fully understand the messages you are conveying.
For these patients, visual representations such as photos (intraoral and extraoral), x-rays, and videos are very useful. Allowing a patient to handle a model also helps them understand the treatment plan.