Health Literacy

What is the definition of health literacy?

Ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.

What factors influence a patient’s health literacy?

Education, language, cognitive ability, age, culture, socioeconomic status, stress, and access to healthcare.

What is “Below Basic” health literacy?

Limited ability to understand simple written instructions.

What is “Basic” health literacy?

Ability to handle simple everyday literacy tasks.

What is “Intermediate” health literacy?

Ability to understand most health materials with some difficulty.

What is “Proficient” health literacy?

Ability to analyze and use complex health information.

Is health literacy the same as general literacy?

No; health literacy is specific to understanding and using health information.

Do patients usually admit when they don’t understand health information?

No; most will hide confusion.

Does low health literacy mean low intelligence?

No; health literacy is not related to intelligence.

Which groups are at highest risk for low health literacy?

Older adults, minorities, low-income individuals, limited English proficiency, low education, and patients with chronic diseases.

What are the consequences of poor health literacy?

Incorrect medication use, more hospital visits, poor outcomes, low adherence, and higher healthcare costs.

What are informal ways to assess health literacy?

Struggling with forms, brown bag medication review, or saying “I forgot my glasses.”

What is the REALM tool used for?

To estimate adult literacy in medicine.

What is the TOFHLA tool used for?

Measures functional health literacy.

What is the Newest Vital Sign (NVS)?

A quick health literacy tool using a nutrition label.

Why should healthcare providers use simple language?

To make instructions easier to understand and follow.

Why should communication be limited to 1–3 key messages?

Helps patients remember and prioritize important information.

Why should providers encourage questions?

It improves understanding and patient engagement (“Ask Me 3”).

What is the teach-back method?

When patients repeat instructions in their own words to confirm understanding.

What is the purpose of the teach-back method?

To confirm the provider explained clearly, not to test the patient.

How should numbers be communicated to improve numeracy understanding?

Use simple whole numbers, avoid fractions or percentages, and provide examples.

What reading level should patient-friendly materials use?

5th–6th grade level.

What formatting improves patient-friendly written materials?

Large font, white space, headings, bullet points, and visuals.

What problems can poor numeracy cause?

Incorrect dosing, misunderstanding risks, and poor chronic disease management.

What strategies help improve health literacy overall?

Plain language, visuals, repetition, teach-back, and encouraging questions.