Think about how your older adult audience will come in contact with your message. Health literacy is an essential skillset for anyone who interacts with the medical community. A health-literate organization provides safe, person-centered, equitable care and services. Dr. Rima Rudd, health literacy expert, Harvard T.H. Discussion centered on the relevance of health literacy to the rheumatology field; whether measures of health literacy were important in the context of clinical trials and routine care; and, if so, whether disease-specific measures were required. Related Pages. Low health literacy has a direct correlation with poor health outcomes. Older Adults want health information. However, nowadays it is not the case at all, and with the internet and open access to endless amount of literature and social media, patients are slowly learning more and more about their conditions. Health literacy refers to an individual’s capacity to seek, understand, and use health information. "Health literacy occurs when health information and services created for the public match with people’s capacity to find, understand and use them," says the agency. Based on a recent study from the Journal of Adolescent Health, adolescents with mental health symptoms are twice as likely to drop out compared to peers without. The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy found that approximately 77 million U.S. adults a re a t basic or below – basic health literacy.This represents a third of the U.S. population. Health literacy measures your ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information. And since we’re each responsible for taking care of our physical and mental health, health literacy is a necessary tool for everyone. Chan School of Public Health, addressed staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Older adults and their caregivers need reliable health information to prevent and manage disease, promote their health and follow public health recommendations and warnings. Pfizer’s health literacy tool, the Newest Vital Sign, is simple to implement. Why Is Health Literacy Important? These are just two examples of why health literacy is important. Importance of Health Literacy. It has developed one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly sets of free resources for professionals, clinicians and providers, available at its website. Other characteristics related to health literacy include psychosocial skills, self-efficacy, expectations and experiences. What is mental health literacy and why is it important to educate teens about mental health? Without health literacy, patients struggle to access health information and services, putting their personal health at risk. “Finding the Right Words for Better Health,” reads the motto for Health Literacy Month, which is held throughout October. health magazine : The importance of health literacy In 1999, Helen Osborne, a licensed occupational therapist, consultant, speaker, author, and podcaster, initiated this cause to create worldwide awareness about the importance of both understanding and effectively communicating health information. The majority (53%) fell into intermediate, and a small 12% were proficient. In short, healthcare systems should implement health literacy assessments that best suit the needs of their practice and are proven to be effective. However, it only focuses on nutritional matters and fails to comprehensively address all aspects of health literacy. 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