Author's note: This column is intended for educational purposes only. It aims to highlight gaps in health knowledge, provide support and empower organizations to guide their members in creating …
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Author's note: This column is intended for educational purposes only. It aims to highlight gaps in health knowledge, provide support and empower organizations to guide their members in creating effective health and wellness programs.
While “access to health care” is often reported in the news, and for good reason, a surprising statistic reveals that 88% of adults in the U.S. struggle with health literacy.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines personal and organizational health literacy in its new Healthy People 2030 as “the degree to which individuals (and organizations) have the ability to find, understand and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.”
This varies slightly from the previous Healthy People 2010 and 2020 definitions, with an additional emphasis on:
• An individual’s ability to use health information, not just understand it
• A focus on the ability to make “well-informed” decisions instead of just what is appropriate
• It incorporates a public health perspective
• Acknowledges that organizations have a responsibility to address health literacy (which ties into previous op-eds on the value of faith and civic involvement)
Health literacy encompasses individuals, families, communities and health systems. It incorporates a range of abilities: reading, comprehension, analyzing and evaluating, decoding instructions, symbols, charts and diagrams and weighing risks and benefits.
Health literacy is the hidden vital sign behind preventable complications.
We must not blame an individual for failing to understand information that may not have been made clear. We are all at risk of not understanding complex or emotionally charged information. In addition, hearing deficits, stress, fatigue, learning disabilities, pain, mental or emotional health and feeling poorly can affect the ability to hear or understand what is being described.
Health care information, instructions and test or lab results are often full of medical jargon and the provider (doctor, nurse, dentist, hygienist, physical therapist) delivery and attitude may cause the patient to feel shame, fear asking questions or just tune out the delivery of information. Some of this shame and fear may come from the patient’s lifestyle or previous health care experience.
What brought a patient to this point may have more to do with a cumulative life history that affected their ability to receive care, i.e., homelessness, unemployment, PTSD, disabilities, lack of insurance benefits, transportation issues or limited provider access.
Reading and following instructions (how to use an inhaler, self-administering insulin or following medication dosages and schedule).
Communication - clearly explaining symptoms to a doctor, providing an accurate health history or asking for clarification when unsure.
Numeracy - calculating insulin doses or understanding blood sugar levels.
Navigation - finding a specialist or scheduling appointments online and accessing the patient portal.
Accurately completing forms and questionnaires.
Being able to distinguish between evidence-based information and misleading ads or social media posts.
• Avoid accusation, shaming or victim-blaming comments or tone.
• Health care system waste
• Preventable ER use; frequent return visits
In Baldwin County, health care is increasingly delivered through telehealth, e-visits, home health care and remote patient monitoring. If people cannot accurately navigate patient portals to make appointments, read lab or test results or interpret device readings, the “digital divide” becomes a health divide.
In addition, Baldwin County is the eighth fastest-growing county in the U.S., with an additional influx of seasonal tourists and snowbirds, all placing a strain on the health care system and adding to the literacy gap.
People are less likely to act on information they do not trust or understand.
Organizations that hold regular meetings or church attendance can build a health literacy platform with monthly 30-minute sessions following church or parish services or meetings. Topics suggested on previous op-eds, which can be obtained online or in a past newspaper issue.
Create a health navigator volunteer team by developing and training a small group (retired health care professionals or educators) to help those in need make appointments, complete forms, set up portal access, obtain transportation or health resources (including food pantries, low-cost housing, clinics and mental health services).
Let us make improving health care literacy a community project.
Dr. Cheryl Christy is a Baldwin County resident and registered nurse with nearly 30 years of experience. She holds master's degrees in nursing education and nursing practice and a doctorate in nursing practice. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Phi Pi Chapter, a certified lay counselor and the author of "Voices for Healthcare," a health care blog.
Read last week's column titled "A paradigm shift in health care services" on www.GulfCoastMedia.com.
