Partnership for a Healthier World

Health Literacy Tools and Research

The Newest Vital Sign

The Newest Vital Sign is a bilingual (English and Spanish) screening tool that identifies patients at risk for low health literacy. The tool can be administered in a clinical setting in just 3 minutes. The test result provides information about the patient that will allow providers to appropriately adapt their communication practices in an effort to achieve better health outcomes. The Newest Vital Sign was developed by researchers at the University of Arizona with funding from Pfizer.

The Pfizer Clear Health Communication Initiative 2003-2004

This publication is a compendium which highlights Pfizer’s solutions and tools to address low health literacy. The compendium lays out background information on health literacy, highlights recent research, provides information on Pfizer’s contributions to the field, and provides additional resources for those interested in further information. The compendium is intended for use by healthcare providers, community health workers, academics, patient and advocacy groups, and policymakers.

To download the Pfizer Clear Health Communication Initiative 2003-2004 please click here.

Pfizer Clear Health Communication Grants

Pfizer Clear Health Communication (CHC) grants are a part of Pfizer’s commitment to advance health care professionals’ efforts to improve health literacy. The grants are designed to generate knowledge, create solutions, support research, raise awareness, and attract new scholars to the service of the health literacy issue. An independent advisory board chooses awardees.

  • Pfizer Fellowships in Clear Health Communication
    Two grants are made annually to postdoctoral candidates committed to advancing health literacy and clear health communication. These two fellows receive awards of $65,000 each for up to three years.
  • Pfizer Visiting Professorships in Clear Health Communication
    These grants offer applicants the opportunity to have a recognized health literacy expert visit their organization and provide lectures and workshops on health literacy. Grants of $7,500 are made to the host institutions.

For more information on Clear Health Communication grants or to apply for a grant, please visit our Grants section .

Pfizer Principles for Clear Health Communication

In conjunction with health literacy experts, Pfizer has developed the Principles for Clear Health Communication – guidelines for creating high-quality patient education materials that are easy to read and understand.

  • Pfizer is sharing the Principles and offering best practices and training to organizations in order to facilitate the development of easy-to-read health care materials for their diverse patient populations
  • Pfizer is committed to supporting patients and providers by producing materials that are understandable and accessible to a broad consumer audience.

To download the Principles for Clear Health Communication, please click here.

Florida: A Healthy State

Pfizer has partnered with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in a broad and innovative collaboration designed to address critical health care needs among more than 50,000 Medicaid patients. The effort has three distinct elements:

  • The Florida Health Literacy Study – a clinical trial conducted at community health centers with the University of South Florida to determine the most effective interventions and tools for improving health status and health literacy; Click here to view the FHLS newsletters
  • The Pfizer Florida Medicaid Product Donation Program – provides medication donations to Medicaid-eligible patients via selected community health centers
  • A hospital-based disease management component

For detailed study information, please click here

Know Your Health

The Know Your Health program is an educational initiative for individuals with low functional Health Literacy who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Hypertension. The program applies Health Literacy theories and techniques to widely accepted health education practices with the goals of:

  • Improving the participant’s knowledge of his or her disease conditions
  • Teaching self-care behaviors, and
  • Enhancing control of blood sugar and/or blood pressure levels

Components of the program, which are available in English and Spanish, are designed to involve the Patient, the Facilitator and the Clinic, Hospital or Employer Wellness educational setting. These materials are currently under development.

Download the Know Your Health Brochure