7 Steps To Improve Your Health Literacy

Health disparities or inequalities are preventable circumstances regarding a person or group’s health caused by disadvantages because of social status, race, ethnicity, educational level, income, or where they live.

Health disparities result from the unequal distribution of economic, social, educational, and environmental resources globally. These inequities often result in higher death rates, a lack of access to proper health care, an increased burden of disease, and decreased life expectancy rates in communities, nations, and entire regions. 

Clearly, local, regional, and national governments have the greater responsibility for addressing these inequalities. However, individuals have a vital role as well.

The Critical Role of Health Literacy

Being healthy is crucial to the quality of everyday life. Health literacy can help you maintain good health, prevent health problems, and take proper action when you have health problems.

Personal health literacy is your ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to make the best possible decisions for yourself or others. (CDC)

Health literacy requires basic reading, mathematics, and comprehension skills and the ability to understand how to navigate the health system.

Your level of health literacy influences your health-related behaviors, such as when, where, and how you seek health information and health care. It also affects your ability to make appropriate health decisions. In general, people with low health literacy have worse health outcomes.

Even if you read well and are comfortable using numbers, you can struggle with health literacy when you aren’t familiar with medical terms or you’re diagnosed with a severe illness and are afraid and confused.

How to improve your health literacy

These steps can improve your health literacy and health care outcomes:

1. Be precise and thorough in discussing your symptoms with your doctor. The clearer you are, the easier it is for the doctor to get to the root of the problem.

2. Ask questions if anything is unclear. Doctors are busy and often want to rush to the next patient, but don’t be embarrassed to ask them to explain something you don’t understand. To prevent misunderstanding, repeat back to the doctor what you hear.

3. Request additional information in simple language. Ask for materials such as flyers, photos, diagrams, videos, and websites.

4. If possible, bring a friend or family member to your visit. Call them on your phone if they can’t attend in person, and put them on speaker during the doctor’s visit. Your friend can take notes so you can concentrate on listening.

5. Use available resources. Health facilities in many developed countries offer patient navigators who can help you understand your condition and treatment, coordinate care, and connect you with supportive resources.

6. Make technology work for you. If available where you live, use it to make appointments, review your test results and prescriptions, and communicate with your health care providers.

7. Educate yourself but use media carefully. There’s a ton of health information on TV, radio, websites, and social media. However, information can be wrong, misleading, incomplete, or conflicting. Use trusted sources like the CDC, WHO, and American Heart Association. Attend free webinars or classes offered by hospitals and reputable organizations.

Knowledge and communication are the foundation of improving health literacy and outcomes,” Dr. Sheila Steinberg, WestMed Health Group

Toju Chike-Obi, MD