October: Health Literacy Month

What is Health Literacy?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 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.

How we use health information is the process of understanding the information that your healthcare provider has just shared and then using the information to determine which course of action might be the best for you.  Health literacy skills can mean the difference between good health outcomes and poor health outcomes. Improving your health literacy skills can make a difference in managing chronic diseases and help you understand preventative needs such as flu shots and COVID boosters. For example, understanding that having diabetes means decreasing your blood sugar by taking any medications prescribed by your health provider and changing your eating habits and physical activity can show a capable level of health literacy. 

Becoming your own advocate and increasing your health literacy can mean creating a plan for visiting your medical provider. 

• Take a list of questions to ask your provider and take notes during the visit to remember what your provider said during the appointment. 
• Clarify anything you don’t understand by letting your provider know you don’t understand. 
  • This prevents misinterpretations and misunderstandings. 
  • Many providers will take the time to draw a picture, provide a handout, or direct you to a website for information. 
• If you feel overwhelmed during medical appointments, ask someone to go with you who can help with taking notes or who is perhaps more comfortable asking questions. 

If English is a second language, ask for an interpreter. Check your insurance site to see if providers' profiles list the languages they speak. Use your provider's online portal to explore your labs, diagnoses, and prescribed medications. If you can communicate with your provider on the portal, it is also another way to ask questions. 

Another way to improve your health literacy is to schedule a Know Your Health Numbers webinar for your department. Life & Work Connections offers four options for knowing your health numbers under Preventative Health Topics. 

1. Loving Your Heart So It Loves You Back
2. The Sweet Control to Prevent High Blood Sugar
3. Not Your Parents’ High Blood Pressure
4. Weight is More Than Just a Number 

Request one for your department today.