Improve Your Health Literacy
Posted on August 30, 2014 by bob in In Every Life
The U. S. healthcare delivery system is rapidly changing, with increased specialization resulting in treatment by multiple healthcare providers. Now more than ever it’s important to be actively involved in your own health promotion and management. With students back in school for a new year of learning, it’s a great time to improve your own “health literacy.”
The U. S. Institute of Medicine defines “health literacy” as the degree to which a person can obtain, process, and understand 
basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions, and to effectively use healthcare delivery system services to prevent or treat illness. The challenges we face include the ability to:
— locate appropriate healthcare providers and services to meet your current needs;
— provide accurate information when filling out complex health forms or communicating pertinent information about your health with providers;
— understand links between diet and lifestyle behaviors, inherited risks and your current or future health;
— comprehend directions, intended benefits and possible risks of prescription or over-the-counter medication, or when consenting for procedures;
— understand test results and keep track of healthcare services to prevent future problems;
— best manage chronic health conditions;
— evaluate credibility and quality of health information, and if it’s applicable to your individual health situation;
— understand which healthcare services will be covered by insurance at what intervals, and make informed decisions about procedures not covered by insurance.
Accurate communication is critical between you and your various healthcare providers. Here are suggestions to improve that communication:
— Write a personal health record of your family health history, your past health issues, and all healthcare providers. This information helps you remember pertinent information when completing forms and provides a baseline for you and your healthcare providers to identify health problems.
— Keep this record updated by adding how you have felt since your last visit and any questions you have. Also record visits to all healthcare providers, any tests, the result, and any change in your treatment. Taking these written updates to each visit helps different healthcare providers know about changes in your condition that can affect other conditions or treatments.
Ask questions! Ask each healthcare provider to explain and let you repeat back to verify your understanding about:
— What are my current health concerns?
— What do you suggest I do and how do you believe this help me?
— What are the exact steps involved in the treatment you suggest, or the time and amount of medication you are prescribing?
— How and when should I know if this is helping me or that I need to contact you?
— Ask each healthcare provider to explain any words or terms you do not understand.
— Take any information you have obtained from friends, the internet, or advertisements that you are considering adding to your healthcare. Ask your healthcare provider if the information applies to your personal health situation, if it is credible, and how it would likely affect you in light of other efforts to manage your health. Interactions can be dangerous!
Improving your “health literacy” will help you better manage not only your own health care, but that of your family as well.
Resources:
http://health.gov/communication/literacy/
http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/hlthlit.html
Arlene H. Morris, EdD, RN, CNE is Professor of Nursing, Auburn Montgomery School of Nursing. Reach her at amorris@aum.edu.
