Health Literacy

Question 1

What is REALM

Answer 1

The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) is a screening instrument to assess an adult patient’s ability to read common medical words and lay terms for body parts and illnesses.

Question 2

What is functional health literacy?

Answer 2

A persons ability to read and comprehend information and instructions in health settings.

Question 3

What is interactive health literacy?

Answer 3

A person’s ability to be actively involved in decisions about their health and care over time and in changing circumstances.

Question 4

What is critical health literacy?

Answer 4

A persons ability to take control of the wider determinants of health.

Question 5

Improving health literacy to reduce health inequalities

Answer 5

People with limited financial and social resources are more likely to have limited health literacy. It limits opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to be actively involved in decisions about their health and care over the life course. Improving health literacy can increase health knowledge and build resilience, encourage positive lifestyle change, empower people to manage long-term conditions effectively, reduce the burden on health and social care services

Question 6

Groups most at risk of limited health literacy

Answer 6

More disadvantaged socioeconomic groups
Migrants and people from ethnic minorities
Older people
People with long term health conditions
Disable people

Question 7

Targeted action to improve the health literacy of low literacy populations

Answer 7

Making further education more accessible
Combining lifelong skills training with health
Specific health literacy strategies for disadvantaged socioeconomic groups:
- demonstrating medical instructions
- using trained community workers or health champions to relay health messages
- ensuring that health materials are clear and concise
- writing health materials in plain english