Health Literacy: Finding the Information You Need

Health literacy isn’t just about reading health materials. It’s about knowing how to find the right information, understanding what it means, and using it to make smart choices about managing your health. People with good health literacy are more likely to follow medical advice, take preventive actions like getting vaccines, and manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure more effectively.

On the other hand, people with low health literacy often struggle to navigate the healthcare system, understand and manage their health conditions, and take the right steps to stay healthy. This can lead to poor health outcomes, including more frequent hospital and ER visits, serious complications from untreated health issues and even a shortened life span.

The following resources explain and outline the importance of health literacy:

• An Introduction To Health Literacy: Information from the National Library of Medicine

• Understanding Medical Words: A Tutorial from the National Library Medicine

Two of the most important aspects of health literacy is being able to find the information you need, especially from online resources, and being comfortable interacting with your health care providers.

• Online Health Information Resource Guide

• Communicating with Your Healthcare Team