Illustration by GoodStudio on Shutterstock
Health literacy (HL), has been defined by the Health and Human Services (HHS) as the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process; and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.” [1] Yet, HL is not solely based on a person’s individual abilities but also depends on the intricacy and complexity of healthcare systems as well as HL related demands. [2]
The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) showed that almost 300 million Americans scored below proficient in health literacy. [3] A recent study conducted in 2020 concluded that only 21% of Americans are familiar with the term Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), even though these factors can drive up to 80% of health outcomes. [4] As the pandemic has helped expose the country’s inability to protect its vulnerable populations, it has also sped up the conversations around SDoH and launched initiatives to address them. However, these initiatives can only be taken so far if the majority of the population is unfamiliar with what they are trying to address. Increasing HL would advance SDoH efforts to another level as it would increase the accessibility and inclusivity to populations who cannot afford to be left out of the conversation.
Ryan Bosch, president and co-founder of Socially Determined, has highlighted 5 different components that could help promote HL. In his article for MedCity News, “The Key to SDOH: Health literacy”, Mr. Bosch shares that the first step is to determine a person’s or population’s ability to access information as this is a critical step in order to gauge baseline barriers and further understand literacy gaps. [5]
Another pathway to promoting HL is providing information in the form and content available to individuals based on cultural competence, plain language approaches and the use of new technologies. The Clear Communication initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a set of resource pages designated to dispersing information in an accessible manner, using plain language, as well as a tool to assist science and increase public health communication.
What are some pathways that you have come across at your organization? How have you worked towards improving Health Literacy in your organization? What methods or pathways do you find are most effective?
We want to hear your input and create an engaging space to learn from each other! Email us at: info@cozeva.com
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience. By clicking “Accept and Continue”, you consent to our use of cookies.
