Health Literacy

Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment.  A recent government study estimates that over 89 million American adults have limited health literacy skills.

Studies also show that people from all ages, races, income and education levels are challenged by this problem. Individuals with limited health literacy incur medical expenses that are up to four times greater than patients with adequate literacy skills, costing the health care system billions of dollars every year in unnecessary doctor visits and hospital stays.

Compounding the problem is the fact that most patients hide their confusion from their doctors because they are too ashamed and intimidated to ask for help.

In 1998, the American Medical Association (AMA) became the first national medical organization to adopt policy recognizing that limited patient literacy affects medical diagnosis and treatment. The AMA Foundation has since been working to raise awareness of health literacy through its:

• Health literacy toolkits
• Health literacy patient safety monographs
• Health literacy patient safety tip cards
• Health literacy partnerships

Explore this site to learn about the issue and what you can do to make a difference. For more information about the health literacy program, e-mail healthliteracy@ama-assn.org