Health Literacy Kevin Md

It is how patients obtain process and understand basic health information services which enables them to make better health decisions.

Health literacy kevin md. Nichole egbert phd kevin m. Personal and professional guidance through the healthcare system including enhanced access to health literacy is the role of proactive md s patient advocate. Kevin pho md shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from.

Populations at highest risk to experience low health literacy include adults older than 60 people with low income racial and ethnic minorities and those who speak english as a second language. The patient advocate s primary role is to bridge the gap in care that occurs beyond the walls of onsite health center and the community. Studies have attempted to measure health literacy with screening tools or signature time at registration.

Expectations and assumptions about average literacy lead to a mismatch between people s actual skills and health systems processes and procedures. As a health literacy community let s take on quality of care issues that affect all patients but leave those with limited health literacy the most vulnerable. Patient advocates are key to health literacy.

Medical illiteracy or low health literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes such as increased risk for hospitalization. Although health literacy is a concept new to many members of the healthcare community it has quickly caught the attention of researchers policy makers and clinicians due to its widespread impact on health and well being. This remains surprisingly true even after the publication and widespread dissemination of findings from the u s.

Only by doing so will the public at large appreciate once again the incredible value of public health and its undeniable power to provide measured and effective guidance when the world as we know it becomes a. Department of education s national adult literacy survey in 1992 and in 2003. According to the american medical association health literacy is a stronger predictor of a person s health than age income employment status education level and race.

For example patients who have recently been hospitalized often see their primary care providers for a follow up appointment before a summary of the hospitalization is available.