Become health literate
When it comes to their health, people are only able to follow health instructions and general principles to the extent they are able to comprehend them.
The Healthy People 2010 national prevention framework defines health literacy as the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”
Based on the findings of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, a nationwide survey conducted among 19,000 households, only 12 percent of Americans were proficient in terms of health literacy skills and 36 percent had basic or below basic health literacy skills.
The National Institutes for Health warns that nine out of 10 American adults have some problems with health literacy. They further state that having low health literacy can harm your health. It can affect your ability to:
• Fill out complex forms • Share personal information such as your health history • Get important screening tests • Take care of yourself • Manage a chronic disease • Understand how to take medicines The NIH identifies health illiteracy as a “major source of economic inefficiency in the U.S. healthcare system,” and attributes $106 billion to $238 billion each year to its side effects.
Helen Osborne, the founder of Health Literacy Month, said it is “A time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information.”
Held annually since 1999, its theme for October 2014 is “Be a Health Literacy Hero.” Osborne describes Health Literacy Month as being about identifying health literacy problems, finding ways to improve health communication and taking action.
Registered nurse Denise Winiarski is clinical education coordinator at the Willis-Knighton Innovation Center’s Career Institute. Winiarski said, “Health Literacy Month is a reminder to patients and healthcare agencies that the access to accurate and understandable information is imperative to promote wellness.”
Health.gov lists the following individual and systemic factors of health literacy:
• Communication skills of lay persons and professionals
• Lay and professional knowledge of health topics
• Culture
• Demands of the healthcare and public health systems
• Demands of the situation/context. Health literacy affects people’s ability to:
• Navigate the health-care system, including filling out complex forms and locating providers and services.
• Share personal information, such as health history, with providers
• Engage in self-care and chronic-disease management.
• Understand mathematical concepts such as probability and risk.
Winiarski said, “Communication is vital for improving health. Patients must have an open line of communication with their primary care provider and other members of their health-care team. A relationship of open, honest communication between the patient and the caregiver about the current plan of care, alternatives for treatment and health promotion activities can provide the information for the patients to make educated choices regarding their healthcare.”
Winiarski said, “One of the largest barriers in understanding health issues is the difference in terminology between the patients and the caregivers. Healthcare is a world of acronyms and medical jargon that is second-nature to caregivers. However, the patient and their families may misunderstand the message presented to them because of the terminology. In addition, patients may be experiencing added stress during an illness; this is a difficult time to learn new information.”
The Mayo Clinic offers these suggestions for improving communication with your doctors and other health-related professionals:
• Before you leave for your appointment, make a list of your symptoms and when they started. Bring a list of your current medications, write down your questions and bring paper to take notes.
• Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to use familiar language and write down their information.
• Ask questions if something is not clear.
Let the health care person know if what they are telling you is confusing in any way. Ask for written materials written in plain language.
• Make sure you know whom to call with any questions you may have after you get home.
Winiarski said, “The most important thing that patients and families can do to promote their own health literacy is to ask questions. Come to appointments with your written questions so that they are not forgotten. Ask for additional clarification if the answer you receive is not clear to you. Ask for resources – either online or in a support group – to gather more information about your diagnosis and treatment.