Health Literacy Flashcards
Defining health literacy
The degree to which individuals are able to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions
Health literacy involves…
- Traditional literacy: reading/writing
- Numeracy: basic math, probability
- Science literacy: knowledge of biology/physiology, principles
- Information literacy: recognize when info is needed and being able to locate/evaluate/effectively use the needed info
- Digital health literacy: above + computer lit, media lit, internet access
Nutbeam’s Levels of Health Literacy:
Level 1: Functional Health Literacy
- the reading/writing skills that help someone understand basic health info
- ex. patient can follow doctor’s written instructions
Level 2: Interactive Health Literacy
- more advanced cognitive and literacy skills that help people be active participants
- ex. patient can ask doctor complex questions and have meaningful conversations about their health
Level 3: Critical Health Literacy
- highly advanced skills that help patient have greater autonomy+personal empowerment, peer-peer, decisions are made jointly
- ex. patient talks to their doctor as an expert on their own health
High vs Low Health Literacy
High HL:
- people make more informed health decisions, engage in more pro-health behaviors, engage in fewer unhealthy behaviors
LOW HL:
- report their health as poor
- lack insurance
- skip preventative measures
- have chronic conditions and less able to manage them
- higher rates of hospitalization
- feel more negative psychological effects
Who experiences health literacy disparities?
- Those who have lower health literacy are older adults, minorities, and low income people
Approaches to health literacy: Public Health Approach
- Upstream
- Health literacy is a skill to be built from health education/communication that hopefully empowers healthy decision-making
- It’s a message for everyone, and there are interventions to increase HL
Approaches to health literacy: Community Approach
- Midstream
- Rather than identify people with low HL, use universal precautions
- Change the environment that causes low HL
- Simplify things
Approaches to health literacy: Clinical Approach
- Downstream
- Health literacy is a risk factor
- Helps the individual directly
- Low HL = risk factor for poor health, and healthcare professionals need to respond based on patient’s literacy
Approaches to Health Literacy
WORK TOGETHER:
1) Provide opportunities for people to improve their level of health literacy (public health approach)
2) Simplify instructions, documents, etc (community)
3) Assess someone’s health literacy and respond appropriately (clininical)
Health literacy in different contexts
Health info can overwhelm anyone because:
- medical science progresses fast
- so much misinfo online
- what people learned about health in school becomes outdated
- receiving health info during stressful situations like finding out a diagnosis, the patient doesn’t properly process the info
How communication can help develop health literacy: Integrated marketing communication
Integrated marketing communication
- Using marketing strategies to emphasize the importance of health literacy and publicize ways to improve it too
How communication can help develop health literacy: Education
Education at all levels should include:
- Ongoing and comprehensive HL programs that are age-appropriate
- Primary prevention: how do I stay well?
- Secondary prevention: How can I detect illness early and treat it appropriately?
- Tertiary prevention: How do I live best with an illness?
Challenges of education interventions:
- Health curriculum can be made by bad politicians
- Texas doesn’t require students to take Health Ed
- Health Ed varies widely in quality and effectiveness
How communication can help develop health literacy: Partnerships
- Health orgs and media
ex. entertainment education - Doctor-patient
ex. doctor uses a visit as a chance to educate in addition to treat
