Health Literacy

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions

History and origin

Term formalised by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in the 1990s; Healthy People 2010 identified limited health literacy as a major public health challenge

Examples

• Low health literacy is associated with poorer management of chronic disease, higher hospitalisation rates, and lower use of preventive services.
• Plain-language patient education materials are essential for improving health literacy in diverse populations.

Synonyms: patient literacy, health information literacy