The Partnership for Clear Health Communication (PCHC) was launched in 2002, and has made significant inroads in advancing awareness of the importance of health literacy. In an effort to continue to enhance its mission, expand its reach, and best leverage resources, PCHC joined forces with the National Patient Safety Foundation in 2007 to become the Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation.
PCHC serves as an information source regarding the scope and impact of low health literacy in the United States, as well as what providers and patients can do to improve health communication in every provider-patient interaction. Additionally, members present information about improving health literacy at national and regional events through the PCHC Speakers' Bureau. The four-pronged action agenda guiding PCHC since its creation has been:
PCHC is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization driven by its Board of Directors, which includes representatives from health literacy and health care provider organizations, consumer groups, public health associations, and others. PCHC Board Members include:
PCHC now has more than 350 active members across the United States – including hospitals and medical centers, patient advocacy organizations, medical societies, literacy groups, public libraries, universities, and state and local health departments – working together to improve health communication in every provider-patient interaction. To learn more or join the PCHC, visit www.npsf.org/pchc.
A Clear Health Communication Intervention
What is Ask Me 3?
Ask Me 3 is a quick, effective tool designed to improve health communication between you and your patients. The goal of Ask Me 3 is to help patients better understand their medical condition and be able to follow your instructions. Patients who understand and can act on health information are more likely to follow their health care provider's instructions, which may lead to better health outcomes. Better understanding may also reduce the number of call-backs to your office as well as missed appointments. Importantly, research has shown that implementing Ask Me 3 does not increase the time patients spend in the health care provider's office.
Ask Me 3 promotes three simple but essential questions that patients should ask their providers in every health care interaction:
What research supports the use of Ask Me 3?
A recent study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio measured the results of implementation of Ask Me 3 in a pediatric health center. Of the 393 parents surveyed (of which 31 percent were Spanish-speaking only), 100 percent "liked" the program and felt the questions "helped them get more information about their child's health." Perhaps the most interesting result of the study was a shift in the parent's perception. The parents felt that the doctor spent more time with them, even though the study did not show any increase in the office visit time.
In a separate study conducted by the American Association of Family Physicians, 21 physicians who used the Ask Me 3 program (the intervention group) reported higher levels of visit satisfaction than 17 physicians in the control group that practiced standard care . Greater than half (52 percent) of the intervention physicians reported that when their patients asked at least one of the Ask Me 3 questions, their own communication with patients was improved. Additionally, two-thirds (65 percent) of the 443 patients who used the Ask Me 3 program felt their communication with their providers had improved as a result of the program.
In both studies, the time spent in the provider's office did not increase when Ask Me 3 was implemented.
How do I implement Ask Me 3?
The Ask Me 3 program includes brochures, posters and a Web site about health literacy, customized for patients, providers, and organizations. The materials are available in English and Spanish, and are downloadable free of charge through the non-profit Partnership for Clear Health Communication at the National Patient Safety Foundation at www.npsf.org/askme3.
There are many ways you can integrate Ask Me 3 into your practice to improve patient communication and understanding.
As the physician, you can:
Your office staff can:
How can I order Ask Me 3?
You can download free Ask Me 3 materials at www.npsf.org/askme3. These include brochures and posters in English and Spanish, customized for patients, providers, and organizations. The Web site provides comprehensive information about health literacy, as well as the Ask Me 3 program. You can encourage your patients to visit the Web site to learn more about the importance of clear health communication.
Download and Read the Ask Me 3 ”A Clear Health Communication Intervention” document 
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