There is a paucity of information available on health literacy within the field of speech-language pathology. Suggestions are offered regarding increasing health literacy research and intervention by speech-language pathologists.

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With increasing specialization, most academic disciplines have become highly compartmentalized. Numerous organizations in higher education strongly encourage interdisciplinary collaboration at the faculty and student level. The purposes of this article are (a) to provide a conceptual framework for explaining how and why an interdisciplinary case study method is a catalyst for the development of students and faculty; (b) to document the conception, planning, organizing, and results of an interdisciplinary case study workshop; and (c) to provide recommendations to encourage others who might want to apply this model to their own interdisciplinary efforts.KEY WORDS: interdisciplinary; case study; problem based learning; experiential learning.Over time and with increasing specialization, most academic disciplines have developed "hierarchical specialty units, often called silo, stovepipe or chimney organizations"

The purpose of this study was to examine connections between health literacy and social communication skills in older adults, a population that experiences chronic health conditions but is reported to have low health literacy and declines in communication skills. Sixty-three older adults were administered the Social Communication subtest of the Functional Assessment of Communication Skills in Adults and the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. Correlational statistics indicated significant relationships between social communication skills and health literacy in older adults. Aspects of social communication that involve initiating discourse, facial expressions, and voice tone were positively related to reading comprehension items that involve informing, naming, and requesting information. Results of the study suggest that social communication skills may possibly serve as predictors of health literacy. Further study of the potential relationships between these variables is needed to improve health literacy assessment and intervention for older adults.

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