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Importance and Impact
Why is Health Literacy Important?
Low Health Literacy is Common!
Did you know 9 out of 10 American adults don’t have all the literacy skills needed to navigate health diagnoses, plans, and systems? Even those who are highly educated in health-related fields can experience limited health literacy when faced with certain high-risk situations.
Negative Outcomes
The impacts of limited health literacy are visible at the individual, community, and systemwide levels. Limited health literacy has been consistently associated with poor health outcomes, including:
• lack of knowledge about medical conditions
• lack of engagement with providers
• poorer use of preventive health services
• increased hospitalizations
• mismanagement of treatment plans
• poorer overall health status
• higher rates of mortality
Lack of foundational or functional health literacy (the ability to read and write) can lead to less critical health literacy, as well. Without the ability to critically assess and use health information, communities may be unable to come together to raise awareness and advocate for themselves.
Financial Impact
Advancing health literacy could save the American healthcare system an estimated $143 million to $25 billion every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Improving health literacy could prevent nearly 1 million hospital visits every year.
Who Does Health Literacy Impact?
A myriad of factors may influence someone’s ability to find, understand, and use health information. These factors include:
• Experiencing poverty
• Identifying as a refugee or immigrant
• Education level
• Racial and ethnic background
• Older age
• Disability status
• Health insurance status
• Living with a chronic illness or disease
Some of the greatest and most significant health disparities related to health literacy occur among racial and ethnic minority groups and among those for whom English is not their primary language.
Limited health literacy can be difficult to detect, which is why we should always use health literacy best practices with every patient we serve.
When someone experiences limited health literacy, they might not understand what their condition is, how to take their medication, when or where to make follow-up appointments, or how to voice concerns and ask questions. As healthcare providers, it is our responsibility to work with patients so they can find, understand, and use the information they need to make informed decisions and actions.