Table of Contents
What does the term health literacy mean?
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.
What is an example of health literacy?
Examples of personal health literacy include understanding prescription drug instructions, understanding doctor’s directions and consent forms, and the ability to navigate the complex healthcare system.
What is the purpose of health literacy?
Health literacy skills allow patients to take control of their own well-being by making smart healthcare choices, improving their communication with doctors and giving them the information they need to advocate for themselves in a medical setting. Without health literacy, patients can suffer real consequences.
What is a health literacy approach?
Definition of health literacy Health literacy is about how people understand information about health and health care, and how they apply that information to their lives, use it to make decisions and act on it.
What is included in health literacy?
Health literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve the ability of people to act on information in order to live healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing, listening, speaking, numeracy, and critical analysis, as well as communication and interaction skills.”
How do you use health literacy?
Emphasize people’s ability to use health information rather than just understand it. Focus on the ability to make “well-informed” decisions rather than “appropriate” ones. Incorporate a public health perspective. Acknowledge that organizations have a responsibility to address health literacy.
How do you improve health literacy?
Tips for developing young people’s health literacy Take a strengths-based approach to health and wellbeing. Develop young people’s assets to enable them to engage effectively with health information and services rather than focussing on risk factors.
What are some health literacy skills?
Individual health literacy—these are individual skills, such as the ability to find, understand and use health information; for example, to complete health care forms or understand and use the health care system.
Why is health literacy important kids?
Health literacy is an important issue to consider in the provision of health-care to children. Low health literacy affects parent acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as child health outcomes across the domains of disease prevention, acute illness care, and chronic illness care.
How can you improve health literacy?
Here are some easy ways to help build your health literacy and become a better patient and health advocate for yourself.
- Ask questions. And make sure you get the answers to those questions, says the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
- Be your own pharmacist.
- Tell the truth.
- Bring someone with you.
How do you learn health literacy?
How can health literacy improve health?
While choosing a healthy lifestyle, knowing how to seek medical care, and taking advantage of preventive measures are all benefits to individuals who understand and use health information, access to information is a key determinant of patient health literacy according to the World Health Organization.