Health Literacy

“Health literacy” is defined as “the ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to make informed decisions about one's health. It encompasses skills such as reading, interpreting medical instructions, and navigating the healthcare system.” Building health literacy is basically comprised of (1) the learning of what has an impact on one’s health and how to monitor (if not control) it, and (2) the developing of the skill of understanding, questioning, and applying health information in real-life situations. Studies indicate that most American adults have a relatively low level of one or more aspects of health literacy. According to “Patient Better,” “The impact of low health literacy can be serious: medication errors, missed appointments, unnecessary ER visits, and difficulty managing chronic conditions. On the other hand, people with higher health literacy experience better health outcomes, lower costs, and greater confidence in their care.” 

Questions to ask oneself in this regard are the following: 

• Do I prepare a list of questions before visiting my doctor? 

• Do I keep my medical records, medications, and test results organized? 

• When I don’t understand something, do I ask for clarification? 

• Do I know how to check if my health information comes from a reliable source? 

• Can I explain my diagnosis and treatment plan to a friend or family member? 

• Do I understand my insurance coverage well enough to avoid surprises? 

The key is to ask better questions – and not to be afraid to ask them – of oneself, one’s providers, and the carriers of the benefits one has. Additional information can be found at  https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/about/understanding.html.