What is Health Literacy Month?

#HealthLiteracyMonth

What is Health Literacy Month?

Health Literacy Month

We are celebrating 20 years! Health Literacy Month is a time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information. This annual, worldwide, awareness-raising event has been going strong ever since Helen Osborne founded it in 1999.

Make Health Literacy Month stronger by submitting a "Health Literacy Hero". Together we are a stronger community as individuals, groups and team organizations worldwide.

Podcast with Helen Osborne

Since 1999, Helen Osborne has been moderating the health literacy podcast titled Health Literacy Out Loud. We celebrate 20 years of Health Literacy Month with a special podcast featuring Helen Osborne. Our moderator, Michael Villaire, MSLM, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the Institute for Healthcare Advancement will give us further insight into the contributions and vision Helen Osborne would like to share to our community of health literacy professionals.   Subscribe to Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast here!

Do you think you are a health literacy hero?

Do you know of a health literacy hero?

If you need to know more about being a health literacy hero, then click here.

Our Latest Health Literacy Heros

Organization Heros

Kansas City CARE Clinic

provides medical care to the uninsured and underinsured people of the Kansas City

Individual Heros

Matt Jacob

has developed valuable training modules to assist dental practitioners and advocates communicate more.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Health

Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults, US Dept of Health & Human Services

2019: Health Literacy in the 50 States, Health IQ (an Insurance Co.)

2018: How Health Literacy Got Started, Helen Osborne

2017: Hidden Cost of Healthcare System Complexity, Accenture

2015: Health Literacy & Patient Engagement, 12th Annual Report, US HHS Sep 2015

2011: Health Literacy Interventions Outcomes: Updated Systematic Rvw, AHRQ

2010: Health Literacy, NNLM

2010: Health Literacy: Accurate Accessible Actionable Health Info. for All, CDC

2009: Reaching America’s Health Potential Among Adults, RWJ Foundation

2009: Low Health Literacy, NAAL 2003

2004: Literacy and Health in America, ETS