Improving Health Literacy Will Create A
Healthier Population
CT
Mirror: 6.29.2020 by Mary Nketia
Warren Buffet once said “Risk comes from
not knowing what you are doing.” Buffet is an investor and business tycoon and
likely referring to the risk associated with business ventures; however, this
sentiment is true when talking about health knowledge. Business risks are
unlikely to kill you, but lacking understanding of matters that affect your
health can be fatal.
The Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Title V, defines health
literacy as
the degree to which an individual has
the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health
information and services to make appropriate health decisions
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). We all need to take steps to improve our own health literacy, that of
our loved ones and that of the population as a whole.
Individuals with low health literacy may
have difficulty locating providers and services, filling out complex health
forms, sharing their medical history with providers, seeking preventive health
care, knowing the connection between risky behaviors and health, managing
chronic health conditions and understanding directions on medicine. (Health Resources & Services Administration).
Nearly 36 percent of adults in the U.S.
have low health literacy, with a higher number among lower-income Americans
eligible for Medicaid. This may appear to be a problem for only the individuals
affected, but everyone should care about health literacy. Low health literacy
has a large economic impact – those with low health literacy experience greater
health care use and costs compared to those with proficient health literacy.
In 2018 the U.S. spent $3.6 trillion or
$11,172 per person on healthcare. The estimated cost of low health literacy to
the U.S. economy is between $106 billion to $238 billion annually.
So, what can we do to improve health
literacy? It is first important to recognize health literacy as a systems
issue, which reflects how complex the presentation of health information is as
well as how difficult the healthcare system can be to understand.
The educational system can prepare
students at all levels to be competent consumers of healthcare. This will
benefit the students in the future, and it can also benefit their parents or
grandparents who may have low levels of health literacy. Providing students
with trusted sources of information will empower them to make knowledgeable
healthcare decisions.
Funding should be allocated for adult
education about the healthcare system and materials developed about
preventative health for all reading levels. Some educational materials are
currently available, but an assessment of health literacy and the dispersing of
materials based on level will be more effective.
The healthcare system should increase
the availability and use of nurse
navigators, especially for patients with very low levels of health
literacy. Nurse navigators advocate for patients by helping translate complex
medical information into language they can understand and apply, and make the
overwhelming more manageable. READ
MORE ➤➤
Based
on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 12
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old
(Twelfth graders)
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
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