MY LIFE Matters - Health Literacy - 36

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Health Literacy Toolkits
H
ealth literacy matters to everyone involved in health
promotion and protection, disease prevention and
early screening, healthcare and maintenance, and
policymaking. Health literacy skills are needed for
dialogue and discussion, reading health information, interpreting
charts, making decisions about participating in research studies,
using medical tools for personal or familial healthcare-such as
a peak flow meter or thermometer-calculating timing or dosage
of medicine, voting on health or environmental issues, and most
importantly, understanding your diagnosis and making informed
medical decisions.
WHAT IS HEALTH LITERACY AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
According to the CDC, personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have
the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related
decisions and actions for themselves and others. This is important as having the right
information can save your life and minimize any potential accidental harm. According to
Legacy Health, people with low health literacy are:
Genetic testing
What treatment means
for you, and how it will
impact your lifestyle
Less likely to follow treatment
instructions and seek preventative care
Twice as likely to be
hospitalized
Health literacy takes into account not only what the doctor has provided you, but also
the ability to apply these learnings as well. This includes understanding how to take your
medication, knowing under what conditions to take your medication, and understanding the
documents. Doctors are sending this information your way, do you understand your medical
coverage? All these and more are central considerations for health literacy.
36
MY LIFE MATTERS
HEALTH LITERACY ISSUE | SUMMER 2023
Insurance coverage
ITEMS YOU WANT
CLARITY ON
Your diagnosis and
interpreting results
Treatment options
Access to clinical trials
MY LIFE Matters - Health Literacy

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