Definitions
What is "literacy"?
The ability to identify, understand, and communicate written information.
True or False: the average American reading level is 6th grade or below.
True: over half of US adults read below a 6th grade level
What are two things we can do to make materials more accessible for people with low literacy?
Examples: use plain language, use images or pictures, make it interactive, complement using spoken language, ensure cultural relevancy
True or False: Improving health literacy could improve our health system efficiency.
Improving health literacy could prevent nearly 1 million hospital visits and save over $25 billion a year.
What is "health literacy"?
The ability to read, understand, and use health information.
What are some reasons people may have lower health literacy?
Education, experience with healthcare system, access to insurance, language, trust in healthcare system, age, cultural background
What are the "three As" of good health information?
Choose three: accurate, actionable, aspirational, attention-grabbing, accessible, arbitrary
Accurate: Health literacy practices make sure information is presented accurately AND in ways that people can understand.
Actionable: Some background information may be important, but make sure you provide actionable information so the people you want to reach CAN do something with the information provided.
Accessible: It is your responsibility to ensure the information you created reaches the public in a usable format.
What are three health outcomes associated with lower health literacy?
More hospitalizations, greater use of emergency care, lower receipt of critical preventative interventions such as mammography screening and influenza vaccination, poorer ability to take medications properly, and, among seniors, poorer overall health status and higher mortality rates.
What is "jargon"?
The specialized vocabulary, technical terms, and expressions used by a particular profession, trade, or social group that are generally difficult for outsiders to understand.
Rank the following sources of information from most used to least:
Social media
People who have a similar issue
News organizations and journalists
Major health info websites (ex. WebMD, Mayo Clinic)
AI chatbots
Healthcare providers
Healthcare providers (85%), people who have a similar issue (66%), major health info websites (ex. WebMD, Mayo Clinic) (60%), news organizations and journalists (46%), government health agencies (45%), social media (35%), and AI chatbots (22%)
What are two examples of things you can do to improve cultural relevance in health education?
Translate into languages spoken by the community
Pilot test materials with people from the community
Learn everything you can (use resources like EthnoMed from Harborview Medical Center)
What ethical principle supports patients' right to understand and make informed decisions about their care?
Autonomy or informed consent
What is the difference between "personal health literacy" and "organizational health literacy"?
Personal health literacy: the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.
Organizational health literacy: the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.
What proportion of Americans struggle to determine if health information is accurate?
Half of Americans struggle to determine the accuracy of health information: 12% say it is extremely or very difficult to know if the health information they come across is accurate, and 38% say it is somewhat difficult.
What are some reasons to work with a trusted messenger?
Overcoming Institutional Mistrust
Cultural and Linguistic Relevance
Facilitating Two-Way Communication
Reaching Overlooked Audiences
Promoting Individual Autonomy and Literacy
Navigating the Healthcare System
What ethical principle requires healthcare providers to act in the patient's best interest when teaching, preventing harm and creating practices and environments that help others achieve their maximum health potential?
Beneficence (or doing what you can to benefit the patient)
What is "cultural humility"?
A lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with an examination of her/his own beliefs and cultural identities
What proportion of Americans get their health information from social media?
Roughly 36% of Americans get health information from social media and 22% get health information from AI chatbots.
What are some ways we can improve organizational health literacy?
Include members of groups served in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information and services
Meet the needs of audiences with a range of health literacy skills while avoiding stigmatization
Use health literacy strategies in oral communication
Design and distributes print, audiovisual, and social media content that is easy to understand and use to make informed health decisions
Provide easy access to information and services and uses clear signage or instructions to help people find their way in facilities and online
Focus on culturally-relevant materials and translation into languages spoken by community
The Healthy People 2030 definition of health literacy shifted from "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" to two definitions: individual health literacy and organizational health literacy.
What are some reasons you think they made this update?
The new definitions: