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Executive Summary
Health literacy is broadly about an individual’s
ability to make sound health decisions in
the context of everyday life and as such, it
is an important aspect of their capacity to
manage their health and care. Although it
has a significant impact on health outcomes,
it has had a relatively low profile in the UK
compared to areas such as shared decision
making, behaviour change and health
improvement.
Low health literacy compromises people’s
ability to understand their health needs and
to navigate complex healthcare systems,
with profound consequences for their health.
It is closely associated with significant health
inequalities between different groups in
the UK. People with low health literacy have
poorer health status, are less likely to make
healthy living choices, experience higher rates
of hospitalisation and emergency admissions
and incur substantially higher health service
costs.
Low health literacy was once seen as an
individual’s deficit - their lack of knowledge
and skills regarding health issues. It is now
recognised that health literacy is a ‘systems
issue’, which reflects the complexity of both
health information and the health care
system.
It represents a very significant problem and
challenge in the UK. For example, around
one in five adults cannot read or understand
simple instructions or labels such as those
found on medicine bottles.
Addressing health literacy issues is a
fundamental part of the consumer health
information challenge. Understanding and
improving health literacy should be a key
objective for anyone who works in the field
of consumer health information or who
communicates with the public in any way
about their health.
The survey
347 people took part in a Patient Information
Forum online survey which sought to
gain insight into health literacy from the
information producer perspective; exploring
whether information producers know what
it means and how important they think it is;
what specific strategies they have to address
the needs of people with low health literacy
and how these strategies are implemented.
Respondents largely reflected the make-up
of the health information sector, with the
majority of responses coming from NHS and
voluntary sector organisations. The survey
had a good response from across all UK
countries. Most respondents are producing
health information in-house. The sample size
and nature of respondents reflects the views
of the health information sector well.
The vast majority of information producers
see health literacy as something that is
relevant and important to everyone, rather
than to specific groups of people. They
believe that all resources should be clear,
simple and straightforward in order to meet
a wide range of health literacy needs.
‘The delivery of high quality and
appropriately targeted consumer
health information is central to the
achievement of health literacy.’
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Coulter and Ellins, 2006
