Health Literacy

Health Literacy
L. Kari Hironaka
  • I. Description of the problem/issue: Health literacy is defined as “The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”
    • Health literacy skills can affect one’s ability to navigate through the healthcare system, share pertinent health-related information with medical providers, and engage in self-care and disease management.
    • The Institute of Medicine has identified health literacy as one of the key factors influencing patient safety, health disparities, and quality improvement.
  • II. Epidemiology
    • A. Approximately one of three adults (36%) in the United States have limited health literacy skills.
    • B. Limited health literacy skills can be divided into “basic” and “below basic.” Examples of “basic” health literacy skills include understanding a growth chart or associating medication administration with food intake. Examples of “below basic” health literacy skills include dosing an over-the-counter medication or reading a clinic appointment card. Individuals with limited health literacy are less likely to obtain health-related information from newspapers, books, magazines, and the Internet. They are more likely to acquire health-related information from TV or radio. Limited literacy skills are often associated with a significant amount of shame and embarrassment.
    • C. Health-related outcomes
      In adults, the relationship between limited health literacy and poorer health outcomes have associated limited literacy skills with the following:
      • Decreased utilization of preventive health services
      • Poorer understanding of medical conditions and disease-specific knowledge
      • Suboptimal self-management skills
      • Higher rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits
      • Poorer outcomes for specific chronic conditions
      • Increased risk of mortality
      Limited parental health literacy has been associated with the following:
      • Decreased health-related knowledge
      • Decreased disease management for specific chronic conditions
      • Decreased rates of exclusive breast-feeding
      • Use of a nonstandardized dosing instrument for measuring liquid medications
    • D. Specific challenges for pediatric patients
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Jun 22, 2016 | Posted by in PEDIATRICS | Comments Off on Health Literacy

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