Health Literacy Month Spotlights Critical Need for Better Understanding of Health Information

October marks the fifth annual Health Literacy Month, a worldwide campaign to promote the importance of understandable health information. To mark the month, Merck had a discussion with Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTRL, founder of Health Literacy Month and author of the new book Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message published by Jones and Bartlett.

This October, Ms. Osborne is encouraging individuals to use available tools and resources to improve their understanding and communication of health information, and to become greater advocates for their own health. As part of its mission to put patients first, Merck is committed to helping people better understand health information. One way Merck does this is by providing unbiased, free health information with no product advertising through MerckSource.com and The Merck Manual-- Home Edition.

HO:Health literacy is often defined as the degree to which people can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions. But this definition is only a starting point. Health literacy is also about the process of exchanging health care information. It is not just about reading and writing, but includes all the ways people communicate health information such as by speaking, drawing pictures and using technology.

HO: Health literacy affects almost everyone, including you and me. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that over 90 million adults with low health literacy skills have limited ability to read and understand instructions on prescriptions or medicine bottles, appointment slips, informed consent documents, insurance forms and other health educational materials.

Low health literacy can have dire consequences on people’s health. It also can have serious economic implications. For example, the IOM reports that inpatient spending for persons with inadequate health literacy is $993 higher than that of persons with adequate health literacy. Clearly, health literacy is a critically important issue.

HO: Health Literacy Month is a grassroots campaign to raise awareness about the importance of understandable health information. It is also a time to encourage patients and families to learn about their health – asking questions and advocating for the treatment and services they need. Individuals, organizations and communities can participate in Health Literacy Month in whatever ways make sense for them.

HO: Regardless of whether someone has weeks, days, or just a few hours, there are many ways to participate in Health Literacy Month. Here's what some individuals and organizations are doing:

• Running workshops and giving presentations about health literacy
  
• Organizing national and regional health literacy conferences and symposia
  
• Distributing Health Literacy Month postcards
  
• Displaying the Health Literacy Month poster
• Encouraging patients and families to take more active roles in health care
  
• Establishing Web portals and networks of health information
  
• Encouraging seniors to ask for more plain-language information
  
• Helping middle school students educate others about health literacy
• Developing health literacy research projects
  
• Writing articles about health literacy for newsletters and local newspapers
  
• Organizing information fairs for the general public

HO: Five years ago, few people knew there was a problem. So I, along with many others around the world, created Health Literacy Month to collectively raise awareness about this important issue. Our feeling then, as it is now, is that together we can speak with a louder, more active voice than we could alone.

The drive to create this annual event came from my experiences communicating health care information. Often, this was a challenge. As an occupational therapist, I treated many patients who had limited literacy skills, spoke little or no English, came from other cultures, were older, and had trouble hearing, seeing or remembering.

As a department manager and hospital administrator, I know how hard it can be to communicate effectively. I am well aware of the pressures health professionals face fulfilling even the basics of patient care. But I also appreciate the costs -- to our patients, to ourselves and to our organizations -- when we do not communicate in ways patients can truly understand.

As a patient and family member, I also know how tough it can be to understand information that is unfamiliar or complex. And what it is like to try and comprehend important health care instructions when in pain or feeling scared and overwhelmed. All these experiences led me to found Health Literacy Month.

HO: Patients can help by taking the time to learn about their health -- whether it’s through a book, website, or any other way they like to learn. Pictures, for example, help many people. Since I am a visual learner, pictures help me see where problems are in my body and let me visualize what will happen during a test or treatment.

HO: The Internet is a good place to start, with its many medical web sites. But the problem sometimes is that there are too many to choose from. People should look for web sites that are written by credible sources. Two that I often recommend are MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, and MerckSource.com. Both of these sites offer valuable information presented in a variety of ways.

For example, MerckSource.com has "Health Centers" that explain medical conditions and health strategies specific to age and gender. This website also has daily health news updates and a monthly Harvard e-health newsletter. What’s also beneficial is that the site doesn’t feature any advertising and offers information in Spanish.

Of course, the information on MerckSource.com and other medical web sites is not a substitute for professional medical advice. A doctor should always be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

HO: One of the reasons I like MerckSource is that it helps patients get ready for medical appointments. It does this by suggesting questions people might want to ask, and having family and personal medical history forms that patients can fill out in advance of their appointments. This information can then help doctors and other health professionals determine the best treatment. By preparing ahead of time, patients can help make the time spent with their doctor more productive and can leave appointments feeling more confident and well informed.

HO: That’s important too. Seeking information after an appointment can help patients better understand information about a diagnosed condition, medical test or recommended lifestyle change.

For more information about Health Literacy Month, go to www.healthliteracymonth.org