HEALTH LITERACY WhAt IS
hEAlth lItERAcY?
thE REcENt SElf cARE WEEK focUSSEd oN thE ISSUE of hEAlth lItERAcY ANd hoW It REPRESENtS A mAJoR BARRIER to SElf cARE. BUt WhAt ExActlY IS hEAlth lItERAcY – ANd WhY IS It ImPoRtANt?
By tracy mcAlorum health and Social care Board
t
he World health organisation (Who) defines health literacy as being ‘linked to literacy and
entails people’s knowledge, motivation and competences to access, understand, appraise and apply health information in order to make judgements and take decisions in everyday life concerning health care, disease prevention and health promotion to maintain or improve quality of life’.
When we use the term health literacy we are talking about more than using listening, speaking, reading, writing, and maths skills. In a health setting, we are talking about the use of these skills and others such as analysis and decision making in order to navigate the health system, access and understand health information and make decisions on health. Implicit in the above definition is the need for the health system to not just present information in accessible ways, but also to engage with individuals to make sure they can access, understand and act on the information they receive.
WhY IS It ImPoRtANt? health literacy is essential for patient safety, self-management and effective health and social care relationships with patients, families and carers. there are a range of characteristics that can impact on a person’s health literacy. these include education,
22 - PhARmAcY IN focUS
ethnic background, language, age, illness and financial and social resources. According to the Who (2013), people with low health literacy make more mistakes with medication or treatment, are less able to follow treatment instructions and lack the skills needed to negotiate the health care system. In 2012, the proportion of Northern Ireland’s working age population performing at the lowest levels of literacy was 18 per cent.
Improving and supporting health literacy can result in: • Improved health and health outcomes for patients
• Better patient and professional relationships
• Improved understanding of medication information, instruction and adherence
• Reduced risk of serious health problems resulting from misunderstanding and communication
• Reduced re-admissions and repeat appointments
• Reduced health inequalities
hEAlth lItERAcY AffEctS EvERYoNE But it’s not just people with low levels of literacy who are affected and assumptions should never be made about a person’s health literacy level as it is not always apparent. health literacy is important for everyone because, at some point in our lives, we all need to be able to find, understand, and use health information and services.
• teach back – check that you have explained everything in a way that has been understood, it is not the patient’s responsibility to understand, it is your responsibility to check that you have been understood.
• Use simple language – use language that is easy for the person in front of you to understand and avoid jargon and medical terminology.
Even people who read well and are comfortable using numbers can face health literacy issues when: • they aren’t familiar with medical terms or how their bodies work.
• they have to interpret statistics and evaluate risks and benefits that affect their health and safety.
• they are diagnosed with a serious illness and are scared and confused.
• they have health conditions that require complicated self care.
• they are voting on an issue affecting the community’s health and relying on unfamiliar technical information.
WhAt cAN WE do? According to NhS Scotland, it is recommended that healthcare practitioners take a universal precaution approach and follow the following principles.
• Assume nothing and always offer support to people, for example when filling in forms.
• Use simple pictures – draw or show pictures to help convey a complex concept or body part.
• chunk and check – break down the information that you need to discuss with someone into smaller chunks then check for understanding as you go.
In conclusion, health literacy is about people having enough knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to use health information, to be active partners in their care, and to navigate health and social care systems.
to find out about the tools and techniques please follow
http://www.healthliteracyplace.org.uk. this section includes guidance, resources and videos to support you to improve your health literacy skills.
REFERENCES 1.
http://www.euro.who.int/__
data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190655/e96854.pdf 2.
http://www.healthliteracy.org.nz/about-
health-literacy/what-do-we-mean-by-%E2 %80%98literacy%E2%80%99/ 3.
http://www.euro.who.int/__ data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190655/e96854.pdf 4. department of Education and learning (2013): the International Survey of Adults Skills, 2012: Audit literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills in Northern Ireland. 5. centers for disease control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/ understanding.html 6.
http://www.healthliteracyplace.org.uk /resource-library/article/u/universal- precautions-toolkit/
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