Health literacy

Health literacy is the capacity that an individual has to access and effectively use health-related information to promote and maintain good health. While literacy can enable people to understand and communicate health information and concerns, it is called health literacy when applied to a health context. A person can be literate and still have limited health literacy.

ECDC defines Health literacy as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand the basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions".

In the report, Healthy People 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define it as “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Examples of actions that require health literacy skills include correctly reading and adhering to a care or prevention program and being able to use the available healthcare services rationally and ponder individual behavioural change. Increasing health literacy rates is a means to empower patients and contribute to downgrading inequalities towards a healthier, safer, and more demanding society.

References:

• Healthy people 2010. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2000.
• D’Eath M, Barry MM, Sixsmith J. Rapid Evidence Review of Interventions for Improving Health Literacy. Stockholm: ECDC; 2012.