“The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”

Health literacy is dependent on: Communication skills Knowledge of health topics Culture Demands of healthcare systems Demands of the situation 2

Ability to perform: Understand appointment slips Follow instructions on medication labels Obtain information about an illness Participate in discussions of informed consent Enroll in health insurance plan

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Limited health literacy skills 1. Higher utilization a. Hospitalization b. Emergency services 2. Lower utilization a. Preventive services Results in higher healthcare costs 5

Who is at risk? Older adults The poor Limited education Minority populations Limited English proficiency (LEP) 6

Who is at risk? Many at risk, suffer from disparities in health status, and illnesses (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, HIV/AIDS, oral disease, cancer deaths, and low birth weight), and death. 7

limited health literacy skills: 1. have more chronic conditions 2. Less disease management skills 3. less knowledge of their illness diabetes, asthma HIV/AIDS high blood pressure, etc 8

limited health literacy skills: 1. more preventable hospital visits and admissions. 2. report their health as “poor.” 9

1. Predicted inpatient spending was $993 higher for persons with inadequate health literacy 2. additional healthcare resources attributable to inadequate health literacy were a. $29 billion b. $69 billion for marginally health literate. 10

American Cancer Report 2011 found: “We found that almost 37% of cancer deaths could have beend avoided in 2007 alone if everyone experienced the same death rate as Americans with higher education status.” “In 2007 the cancer death rate among the least educated Americans was 2.6 times higher than death rate among the most educated.” “The death rate from lung cancer was five times higher among the least educated Americans than the most educated.”