Low Health Literacy Meaning

By improving people s access to health information and their capacity to use it effectively.

Low health literacy meaning. The health literacy of america s adults. Low health literacy is an unavoidable barrier to effective patient care for physicians across the country. Thus health literacy means more than being able to read pamphlets and make appointments.

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. Prevalence of low health literacy. In 2006 they published the only national data on health literacy skills.

Low health literacy is expensive. At the same time well over 800 peer reviewed articles in public health and medical journals attest to the fact that health materials are written at reading grade levels. This then increases the chances of unnecessary hospitalisations more emergency care use and poorer overall health status and higher mortality.

Low health literacy is expensive to individuals to healthcare providers and to society. This is also the definition that was included in healthy people 2010 and 2020. Low health literacy can mean for instance an unhealthy diet irregular use of cancer screening missed vaccinations or difficulty taking medicines appropriately.

If the full spectrum definition of health literacy is understood by physicians and carefully considered in the context of their own practices it is likely they would come to the realization th. According to the agency for health care research and quality report health literacy interventions and outcomes. Mean scores for both men and women are quite low and are about the same or lower than they were 12 years ago when literacy skills of us adults were first measured nals 1992.

Modelling by american authors estimated that low health literacy costs the us economy in the form of additional healthcare required and days of sick pay between 106 billion and 238 annually representing 7 17 of all personal healthcare expenditure. Health literacy as a term first proposed in the 1970s 1 generally concerns whether an individual is competent with the complex demands of promoting and maintaining health in the modern society 2 over the past two decades increasing attention has been attached to the concept due to its significant benefits to individual and public health and the sustainability of healthcare. Health literacy implies the achievement of a level of knowledge personal skills and confidence to take action to improve personal and community health by changing personal lifestyles and living conditions.