Health literacy is the ability to find, use, and understand health information when making healthcare decisions. Under the leadership of Dr. Iris Feinberg at Georgia State University, my colleagues and I developed and produced a series of culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare videos about patient-provider communication and women’s health. These healthcare scripts were researched and vetted by healthcare providers and then translated into over a dozen languages. (Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, English, French, Nepali, Pashto, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, and Tigrinya) I wrote scripts using plain language, collaborated with healthcare professionals, hired voiceover artists, and provided the voiceovers for the English videos and selected French videos.
When experiencing vocal trouble – issues with voice quality, pitch, or volume – or discomfort associated with vocalization or swallowing, it’s important to seek out an appropriate healthcare provider and advocate for yourself. This may be a team of voice care professionals that includes an ENT, a speech-language pathologist, and a singing voice specialist. This brief video on patient-provider communication may serve as a starting point for a productive discussion between you and your healthcare provider.
Stephanie Adrian 