4 Cold Hard Facts About Health Literacy via ProLiteracy

4 Cold Hard Facts About Health Literacy

ProLiteracy Blog: 1.30.2018 by Jennifer Paulding, Facts & Research 

Only 12 percent of adults in the United States have a high level of health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly nine out of 10 adults lack the skills needed to fully manage their health care and prevent disease. These adults are more likely to report their health as poor, and are more likely to lack health insurance. Low literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, higher rates of hospitalization, less use of preventive services, minimal prescription and care plan =adherence, and death.

Additionally, these all lead to higher health care costs.

What is health literacy?

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions.

With literacy skills developed through basic education and personal experiences, patients can better understand their conditions, provide consent, effectively communicate with their health care providers, and apply health information to different situations. They can read and understand directions on prescription bottles, consent forms, brochures, and appointment information. 

These basic skills enable patients to apply the major components of health literacy:

     print literacy – writing and reading

     oral literacy – listening and speaking 

     numeracy – using and understanding numbers,

       such as medication doses, calculating premiums, copays, and deductibles

Numerous studies have determined that there is in fact a correlation between low literacy and the overall self-care and health decline of patients. 

Here are four facts about individuals with low health literacy:

1. Less Likely to Engage in Health Care

Many health care organizations assume patients understand and can manage their own health care. To achieve optimal health care, patients must engage with their health care. If a patient doesn’t have the literacy skills necessary to comprehend basic words, it is unlikely that he or she will be able to engage with their care, which is typically made up of complex directions and complicated terminology.

2. Prescription Labels Often Misread

As anyone who takes multiple medications knows, taking the right medication at the right time is crucial to treatment and can prevent dangerous outcomes.

3. Increased Visits to the Emergency Room
Patients with low health literacy are 2.3 times more likely to visit the emergency room. 

4. Higher Mortality Rate

Lower health literacy has been associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, physical limitations, and chronic diseases; specifically heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and asthma.  READ MORE >>