Raising Awareness on the Health Literacy Epidemic

Abstract

Low health literacy is common in the United States of the twenty-first century. The ability to process and understand basic health information and function appropriately in today’s healthcare environment requires basic reading and mathematical skills.¹, ² These basic skills are often taken for granted by patients with adequate health literacy. It is likely that most physicians will encounter on a daily basis patients who cannot read or spell, which is a barrier to accurate medical diagnosis and optimal treatment.³ The magnitude of the association between inadequate health literacy and mortality has captured the attention of many. The nature of this problem is complex and effectively addressing it is important to America’s well-being.⁴ In a study of elderly patients enrolling in a Medicare-managed care plan, inadequate health literacy independently predicted all-cause mortality and death due to cardiovascular events. This study concluded that the crude mortality rate for patients with inadequate health literacy was relatively high at 39.4%.⁵ In an era that has seen breakthrough drug regimens and life-saving treatments the effect of low health literacy on the mortality rate is alarming.², ⁵