Health literacy is 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 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011).

Health literacy is a stronger predictor of health status than age, income, race, ethnicity, unemployment status, or educational level (Kutner, Greenberg, Jin, & Paulsen, 2006).

Low health literacy is linked to

• higher rates of hospitalization
• higher use of expensive emergency services
• and poor health outcomes.     (Berkman, DeWalt, & Pignone, 2004)

More than 90 million Americans could not adequately understand basic health information (about 9 out of 10)  (National Assessment of Adult Literacy).

Health Literacy Resources

Feel free to browse.  We plan to add more resources soon. Please contact us at bwong@worcester.edu.

Continuing education credits. Learn about health literacy at your own pace and get free CEU: 

        http://www.hrsa.gov/healthliteracy/default.html

        http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/GetTraining.html

        http://prism.grouphealthresearch.org/course_introduction/splash_page_before_registration.html

Feel your own pulse: Assess your practice and organization

        http://www.nchealthliteracy.org/toolkit/tool2.pdf

        http://www.npsf.org/askme3/PCHC/

Steps to improving communication with patients (from the American Medical Association)

• Slow down
• Use plain and non-medical language
• Show or draw pictures to enhance patients’ understanding and recall
• Limit the amount of information given at each visit—and repeat it
• Use the “teach-back” technique
• Create a shame-free environment: Encourage questions
• Ask-Me 3

Literacy assessment instrument

        http://nchealthliteracy.org/instruments.html

General resources on health literacy:

• Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
• National Assessment of Adult Literacy 
• American Medical Association Health Literacy Program
• National Network of Libraries of Medicine

Central Mass:

1. Planet MassConnect has a web portal where you can find community partners in the greater Worcester area. Unfortunately, they do not have a particular organization that focuses on health literacy.

      http://planetmassconnect.org/

2.      Common Pathways is a coalition of Central Mass community organizations that work together toward the common goal of achieving a healthier community for all. You can get involved in one or more of their working groups. http://www.commonpathways.org