What is health literacy?

October is Health Literacy Month – a time when health organizations, literacy programs, libraries, social service agencies, businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and other groups work together to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy. In an increasingly complex healthcare landscape, health literacy has emerged as a critical factor affecting individual and public health. Studies consistently reveal that a significant portion of the population struggles with reading, understanding, and acting on health information. This lack of health literacy can lead to negative impacts on personal health and strain healthcare resources.

So, what is health literacy? Health literacy can be divided into two main categories: personal health literacy and organizational health literacy.

Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations —such as hospitals, clinics, and health departments— enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Limited health literacy can have severe consequences. Individuals with poor health literacy are at a higher risk for serious medication errors and experience elevated rates of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Additionally, inadequate health literacy can hinder preventive care and negatively affect the health outcomes of children.

Stress can further complicate health literacy. When individuals face significant stressors, such as a serious health diagnosis, their ability to process information decreases. This illustrates the need for healthcare providers to communicate clearly and compassionately, especially during challenging times.

Tips organizations can use to improve access to health information include using everyday language, active voice, and ask for feedback. Patients should consider bringing a friend or family member with them to appointments, especially when discussing serious diagnosis. There are also resources on the internet that can be used to help understand complicated health topics such as health.gov/myhealthfinder

Together, we can build a world where all people can attain positive health outcomes. Visit healthliteracymonth.org today to learn how you can turn awareness into action!

Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community.