 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Patricia A. Cloonan, RN, PhD, Marc E. ehman, MPH, and Meaghan I. quinn, BS. School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20057, 202-687-7318, cloonanp@georgetown.edu
Limited health literacy is a growing and often unrecognized problem that has a great impact on public health nursing practice. As defined in Healthy People 2010, health literacy is 'the capacity to obtain, interpret and understand basic health information and services, and the capacity to use such information and services to enhance health'. Limited health literacy is a barrier to effective diagnosis and treatment, it contributes to high utilization of health care resources, and it may increase health care costs by as much as $73 billion dollars annually. It has been estimated that half of all patients have inadequate or marginally adequate health literacy; these patients are unable to read prescriptions and consent forms, understand written and oral information given by health providers, and act on necessary procedures and directions such as medications, appointments and referrals. Improving health literacy involves much more than providing reading material at an appropriate level. Nurses and other providers must redesign systems of care to ensure that all patients can access, understand and use important health information. This paper explores the scope of health literacy, presents approaches to assessing levels of health literacy, and discusses strategies that have been found to be effective in providing care to populations with limited health literacy. Public health nurses are central providers of health education and counseling; it is essential that they be prepared to assess, teach and manage the care of those with limited health literacy, and to participate in redesigning systems to better serve this vulnerable population.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Health Literacy, Health Promotion
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.