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Health Literacy Extends Beyond Reading
Health-literate healthcare organizations are healthcare organizations that make it easier for people to navigate, understand and use information and services to take care of their health.
Health-literate healthcare organizations benefit not only the 77 million Americans who have limited health literacy, but also the majority of Americans who have difficulty understanding and using currently available health information and services.
The IOM Roundtable on Health Literacy: Ten Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations provides the major attributes exemplifying a health-literate healthcare organization. Five of these include:
- Makes health literacy integral to its mission, structure and operations
- Integrates health literacy into planning, evaluation measures, patient safety and quality improvement
- Prepares the workforce to be health literate and monitors progress
- Includes populations served in the design, implementation and evaluation of health information and services
- Meets the needs of populations with a range of health literacy skills
Health literacy is a vital component of reducing hospital readmissions and adverse drug events. Go here to see how Qsource works with providers to improve care coordination and how you can get involved.
