The results of a longitudinal study published this week in the British Medical Journal reports that a third of older adults in England have difficulties reading and understanding basic health related written information and this poorer understanding is associated with higher mortality,
Having just attended a conference on health literacy, this has significant importance as the CCOs continue to evolve across the state. The authors, Sophie Bostock and Andrew Steptoe, summarize this study by defining health literacy:
Health literacy has been defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make basic health decisions.”12 The World Health Organization and organisations responsible for public health in the United States and Canada have identified health literacy as an important determinant of population health.345 A rapidly growing body of research is exploring the gap between patients’ health literacy and the capabilities needed to effectively manage health.26 For example, lower health literacy is associated with less knowledge of chronic disease processes,7 poorer mental and physical health, limited use of preventive services, and higher rates of hospital admissions.8
You can read the article at the British Medical Journal (BMJ) website.
Recent Comments