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Enabling people to make informed health decisions: Health Literacy
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health literacy as
..the personal characteristics and social resources needed for individuals and communities to access, understand, appraise and use information and services to make decisions about health
In 2015 Public Health England and the Institute of Health Equity published a report entitled “Improving health literacy to reduce health inequalities”. This showed that up to 61 per cent of the working age population in England finds it difficult to understand health and wellbeing information. Low levels of health literacy impact significantly upon a person’s ability to:
- • manage long term conditions;
- • engage with preventative programmes and make informed healthy lifestyle choices; and
- • keep to medication regimens.
This leads to worse health outcomes across a range of indicators, increased health inequalities for affected individuals, and increased preventable mortality.
In addition, according to a report published by National Voices in 2017 (A New Relationship with People and Communities):
the strongest correlation to ill health – stronger than education level, deprivation, age or ethnicity – is health literacy
Health Literacy Awareness
Do you want to help your patients to better understand, access and use health information, so they can make informed decisions about their health?
Health Literacy Awareness training offers healthcare professionals an opportunity to better understand what health literacy is.
In this 1-hour session, participants will learn how health literacy affects health outcomes and primarily how limited health literacy can lead to poorer health outcomes.
You will also discover tools, techniques and resources to use in practice to support those with limited health literacy.
This course is aimed at anyone with a role in providing information to patients and carers, or who has a responsibility in planning and shaping services.
Qualifications supported
- • HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics: Sections 1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 2.4
- • GMC Good Medical Practice: Domain 3: 31, 32, 33, 34, 49, 51
- • NMC the Code: 2.1- 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 7.1-7.4
Self-directed Learning
Health Literacy – elearning for healthcare (e-lfh.org.uk)
Health-Literacy-ToolkitWebinars
- Organizational & Personal Health LiteracyThe first of the three Health Literacy webinars from The Maryland Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.
- Health Literacy: What We Know Works Tools, Resources, and Promising PracticesIn the second of a three part webinar series from The Maryland Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. The presenters will discuss leveraging health literacy universal precautions and accessing tools to improve written and spoken communication.
Podcasts
- Health Literacy Out Loud podcastHLOL podcasts are a way for you to listen in as Helen Osborne interviews those “in the know” about health literacy.
Useful Websites
- The Health Literacy Place (NHS Scotland)This website aims to raise awareness of Health Literacy and work to address the problem.
- PIF (Patient Information Forum)The Patient Information Forum is an organisation providing guidance on how to produce high quality patient information. They also run the quality mark, the PIF tick for health information, ensuring information meets a set of quality standards.
- National Numeracy for HealthNational Numeracy is a charity that aims to raise low levels of numeracy.
- NHS England Health Literacy ToolkitA range of information and reports for health professionals
- A to Z of NHS health writingDefinitions of commonly used words and phrases in the NHS and healthcare.
Publications
- Reimagining medicines information for patients (2023)Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network has published a report. The new report investigates the current medicines product information paradigm and whether it can be enhanced to more positively influence both patient experience of and adherence with prescription medication. The report also explores if an opportunity exists to improve how this information might be provided in the future using digital solutions with the aim of increasing its value to patients and healthcare professionals.
- Accessible Information Survey Findings (2022)Report on the Accessible Information Standard which gives disabled people and people with sensory loss the right to get healthcare information they can understand and communications support if needed.
- Health Education England (2020) Health Literacy ‘how to guide’Overview from Health Education England of tips and tools you can use to assist and communicate with patients with low health literacy levels
- NHS Scotland (2017) Making it Easier: A Health Literacy Action Plan for Scotland: 2017-2025NHS Scotland’s action plan to tackle the issues surrounding Health Literacy
- Public Health England (2015) Local action on health inequalities: Improving health literacy to reduce health inequalitiesSummarises the importance of Health Literacy and sets out strategies to improve Health Literacy levels
- World Health Organisation: Health literacy development for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases“This report provides a pragmatic approach to health literacy development for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).”
Journals | Electronic Journals
Health Literacy Research and Practice
Access to our journals is online. You can browse all our electronic titles using BrowZine.
BrowZine allows you to search, read, and monitor your favourite journals, making it easier to keep up to date with the latest research in your area of practice.
Browse the collection now for your favourite journals using the BrowZine search function.
Recent articles
Board Games
KGH Library has an extensive collection of educational board games which can be used during team days, training sessions, and to gain CPD credits.
You can play one-on-one or in teams, and all of our games encourage discussion throughout the game. Gameplay takes 30-45 minutes, but we can adjust this to suit you. We can also help you facilitate your first game. For a full listing of games visit our dedicated Board Games guide.
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