What is the teach-back technique and how is it used to assess health literacy?

• A. After explaining, ask the patient to repeat the information in their own words; if not understood, re-teach until comprehension is demonstrated
• B. Ask the patient to recall information from memory only
• C. Provide written materials and assume literacy suffices
• D. Ask only yes/no questions to assess understanding

Answer: (A)

Teach-back is a method for confirming that patients truly understand what you’ve explained by asking them to restate the information in their own words and show how they will use it. It goes beyond memory or reading ability to assess whether the patient can interpret, process, and apply instructions in real life. After you provide instructions, invite the patient to explain back what they will do, how they will manage medications, follow-up steps, or warning signs. If their explanation reveals gaps or mistakes, re-teach using plain language or demonstrations, and have them teach back again until they can accurately describe the plan. This approach directly gauges health literacy by ensuring comprehension and the ability to act on information, which written materials alone or guessing from yes/no questions cannot reliably determine.