Promoting Health Literacy in Rural Communities

Health literacy, the ability to understand and use health information, is a critical factor in the overall health and well-being of individuals. This is particularly true for those living in rural areas, where access to healthcare resources can be limited.

In North and South Dakota, nearly half of the population resides in rural communities. This highlights the importance of making healthcare accessible and understandable for all residents. By improving health literacy, individuals can better understand their health concerns, diagnoses, and treatment options, leading to more informed healthcare decisions.

The Rural Health Information Hub has developed a comprehensive toolkit to assist organizations in reaching rural communities and enhancing health literacy. This toolkit offers evidence-based strategies and resources to support the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of rural health literacy programs. By utilizing this toolkit, organizations can play a vital role in empowering rural residents to take charge of their health and well-being.

Access The Toolkit

	Module 1: Introduction Overview of health literacy in the U.S. and unique challenges that rural communities face.
	Module 2: Program Models Promising approaches and models for health literacy programs.
	Module 3: Program Clearinghouse Examples of promising health literacy programs that have been implemented in rural communities.
	Module 4: Implementation Important issues to consider and address when implementing a rural health literacy program.
	Module 5: Evaluation Tools to help with the evaluation of a health literacy program.
	Module 6: Funding & Sustainability Resources to help with planning for the sustainability of a health literacy program.
	Module 7: Dissemination Ideas and resources for disseminating findings from a health literacy program.