Where does health literacy live in your community health center?
Finding out where health literacy lives in your community health center is like asking someone why the sky is blue. Questions like this can be confusing and unclear. That same confusion can be applied to the concept of health literacy. It is time to uncover the truth about health literacy as we celebrate its journey during the month of October for Health Literacy Month. Together we can find its rightful place in your four walls and beyond.Healthy People 2020 defines health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, or education level ALL people will experience confusion regarding health care at some point in their life; whether it be as a parent trying to decipher their child’s new medical diagnosis, a person who is newly covered by insurance for the first time, or as an older adult who has pill box to help to manage their daily medication.
Here are some significant impacts on the healthcare system regarding health literacy:
• It is estimated that nearly half of American adults, 90 million people, have only basic or below-basic health literacy skills and have difficulty understanding and acting on health information.
• Persons with limited health literacy skills have higher utilization of treatment services including hospitalization and emergency services and lower utilization of preventive services.
• They incur medical expenses that are up to four times greater than patients with adequate health literacy skills.
• The estimated added annual cost to the health care system due to low health literacy is $106-$238 billion.
Are you still thinking about how to determine where health lives in your community health center? Maybe even thinking about which individual should take on yet another hat? You will need to buy a lot of hats because EVERYONE in your organization can make an impact a patient’s ability to obtain and retain health information. In honor of Health Literacy Month, take on a new challenge by having each department share a strategy for how they can make an impact regarding health literacy. Here are some ideas to get you started:
• Hold a cooking on class for health eating for diabetic patients
• Rework patient education materials using plain language techniques
• Conduct an environment review (or walkthrough) to identify literacy-related barriers
• Assess the pharmacy’s communication style with patients
• Try to complete the paperwork expected of a new patient (one that has never sought care before)
As safety-net providers health centers play a significant role in helping to bridge the communication gap for vulnerable patients. Download The Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy’s Ten Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations to start incorporating health literacy concepts today!
Learn about health literacy in Ohio with Ohio Health Literacy Partners. Join the conversation at OHLP’s newly launched Facebook page.
