Health Literacy
“Health literacy occurs when a society provides accurate health information and services that people can easily find, understand, and use to inform their decisions and actions.” (Healthy People 2030).
In other words, health literacy is more than access to accurate health information. It’s about all people understanding how to use information so they can make informed choices about their health. Health literacy can help people prevent and manage health problems when they happen. We will achieve health equity when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
How Healthcare Access and Quality Impacts Olivia
Meet Olivia—artist, part-time barista, and resilient teenager. After experiencing homelessness and battling depression and a substance use disorder, her chosen family helped her heal and thrive.
Get to Know OliviaHow Healthcare Access and Quality Impacts The Jackson Family
Meet Evelyn—an immigrant grandmother struggling to prioritize her health after a lifetime without consistent care. Cultural differences, a language barrier, and past trauma make her hesitant to seek medical help, and she often relies on home remedies. Now, with mobility issues and diabetes, Evelyn faces the challenge of trusting the health care system.
Get to Know The Jackson FamilyHow Healthcare Access and Quality Impacts The Garcia Family
Meet Elena—a widowed mom experiencing grief and PTSD. She is navigating managing her family’s medical needs while living in a rural town with limited health care access.
Get to Know The Garcia FamilyHow Healthcare Access and Quality Impacts Chris
Meet Chris—a blind substitute teacher with high health literacy but constant barriers to accessible care. From being denied braille materials to microaggressions at clinics, Chris faces struggles within the system while managing his arthritis and other health care needs.
Get to Know Chris
Terms to Know
Health literacy is the ability to find, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions about your health.[1] Task-based literacy skills include reading basic text, while skill-based literacy skills focus on knowledge and skills someone needs to perform literacy tasks.
Organizational health literacy is how well organizations enable individuals to have health literacy.[1] High organizational health literacy prioritizes health equity for all.
Health insurance literacy means an individual can use their knowledge, ability, and confidence to find and evaluate information about health insurance plans so they can select and use the plan that meets their needs.
Health systems literacy is about an individual understanding different levels of care, such as self-care, primary care, urgent care, and emergency care, and the ways to access these services.
Key
Facts
- 12% of American adults have proficient health literacy.
- Improving health literacy can prevent 1 million hospital visits for seniors and save Medicare $25 billion annually.
Health Literacy
Health literacy affects how well someone understands how to access health care.
It impacts their ability to get information through the health care system and follow medical treatment plans. Health literacy problems arise when patients receive information that is too complex to understand or use effectively.
Only 12% of Americans have proficient health literacy, meaning they can easily understand and use complex health information.[1] The rest of the population might struggle with things like understanding when to take their medications, how to use their health insurance, and how to follow treatment plans.
Personal Factors
- Employment and income
- Health insurance coverage
- Pre-existing health conditions
- Educational attainment
- Social identity (age, gender, race, and ethnicity)
- Community and culture (language, social supports, family and peer influence)
- Disability status
External factors
- Where you live (rural areas far from providers, racially segregated and low-income neighborhoods that are under-resourced, etc.)
- Structural and systemic racism and discrimination in housing and health
About half of American adults can understand and perform only moderately difficult activities related to their health. Over a third of adults have a basic or below-basic understanding of health literacy, which may not be enough for people with chronic health problems to manage their care.
[1] The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy
Populations at risk for low health literacy
- Older adults[1]
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- People with chronic conditions[2]
- Non-native English speakers
- People who live in poverty
- Individuals without a high school diploma or GED[3]
- Medicare or Medicaid members and uninsured people
[1] The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.
[2] National Library of Medicine
[3] The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy
Key
Takeaways
- Health literacy is crucial for individuals to understand and use health information to make informed health decisions. It impacts everything from following treatment plans to managing health insurance.
- Disparities in health literacy exist due to systemic and structural factors as well as limited educational opportunities. Improving cultural competence and providing tailored health information can help bridge these gaps.
Other
Healthcare
Topics
Behavioral Health & Mental Health
Addressing behavioral health supports people in their daily lives and helps prevent or manage other serious health conditions.
Health Coverage
Hoosiers have better health outcomes when they have adequate health insurance and are able to take medications as prescribed.
Employment: Having health insurance through your job can improve health literacy by making health care information and services more accessible.
Financial planning: Understanding how to calculate out-of-pocket costs and budget for them is important for managing medical expenses.
Educational attainment: Higher levels of education are associated with better health literacy and health-promoting behaviors.
Information access: Having reliable and relevant health information available makes it easier for patients to understand and apply health information.
Cultural competency: Health outcomes improve when health care workers reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. When the health care system lacks cultural competence, it cannot meet all patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs. Providing clear, accessible, culturally tailored information to patients enables them to make informed decisions about their care.
Behavioral health: An individual’s health literacy can impact the way they view mental health and associated stigma. Those with higher health literacy can read about mental health and, as a result, be more open to seeking help or talking openly about mental health with others.[1]
[1] National Library of Medicine.
Health care facilities: Individuals living far away from health care providers, such as those in rural areas, may not be able to easily access appropriate facilities that could help them improve their health literacy and overall outcomes.
Broadband: Broadband or high-speed internet access is a “super determinant” of health, playing a key role in health care access and outcomes.[1] Residents living in rural and other underserved communities without broadband access are not able to use digital tools to improve their health literacy.[2]
[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
[2] National Library of Medicine
Social support: A patient having someone in their life with whom they can discuss health issues and needs can improve understanding and management of health information.
Language: Language and health literacy are co-occurring barriers that impact one another and worsen health outcomes. Individuals who cannot write or speak English are unable to understand basic-level health information or where to access the services they need.[1] Access to health information in a language the patient understands is essential.
[1] National Library of Medicine