Health Literacy Month is observed every October, serving as a dedicated time to highlight the importance of understanding health information and being able to make informed health decisions.
Health literacy is crucial as it directly impacts an individual’s ability to navigate the healthcare system effectively. Understanding medical instructions, prescriptions, nutrition labels, and health education materials empowers individuals to take control of their health. Improved health literacy leads to better health outcomes, increased preventive care, reduced healthcare costs, and enhanced communication with healthcare providers.
Improved health literacy leads to fewer unneeded emergency room visits, lower preventable stays in the hospitals, and lower dosing errors. All of this contributes to less strain on healthcare facilities and an appropriate level of care for those in need.
Improving health literacy involves concerted efforts at both individual and community levels:
- Education and Awareness: Promote educational programs and campaigns to increase awareness of health literacy’s importance.
- Simplified Health Information: Create and disseminate health information using clear, plain language and visuals to make things easy to understand. Follow health literacy best practices.
- Enhanced Communication: Encourage open dialogue between healthcare providers and patients, allowing individuals to ask questions and seek clarification.
- Accessible Resources: Ensure access to reliable and easily understandable health information across our communities, both online and offline.
- Advocacy and Support: Advocate for policies that prioritize health literacy and support initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility and comprehension.
Health literacy skills contribute to personal well-being and overall community health. By understanding its significance and taking proactive steps to improve it, we can empower individuals to make informed decisions and lead healthier, fulfilling lives. This Health Literacy Month, we embrace the opportunity to promote understanding and education, paving the way for a healthier tomorrow.
Health Literacy Educational Videos
For more education about how to properly communicate with patients and health literacy, review these three videos presented by Dr. Darren DeWalt, general internist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The series explores health literacy to create awareness and promote action for change, providers strategies to help address literacy needs of all patients using the Universal Precautions Toolkit and demonstrate effective health literacy practices using specific examples.
- Chapter 1: Health Literacy and the Universal Precautions Toolkit
- Chapter 2: Examples of Popular Tools
- Chapter 3: Tips for Communicating Clearly