How can health literacy help people become more productive?

Today I’m going to talk about how health literacy can help people become more productive. In the United States alone, being a productive individual relates directly to heath. For example, 74,987 deaths occur each year due to having low health literacy and a body mass index of greater than 30

What is health literacy?

Health literacy is the ability to read, understand, and use information to make decisions about health. It is a critical skill for patients to have in order to make informed decisions about their own health care. Health literacy can be defined by three dimensions: health comprehension, health problem-solving and health behavior (Gosney & Kearney, 2013).

Health comprehension refers to the ability to read, understand and interpret written or spoken material related to health issues. Examples include: A patient who fills out a prescription form but does not understand what each medication does; or a patient who is unable to understand instructions for taking medications.

Health problem-solving refers to the ability to identify and solve problems related to personal health conditions or situations that affect one’s own health and well-being. Examples include: A person who has difficulty finding a clinic that offers services appropriate for their needs; or someone who cannot afford their prescriptions and therefore doesn’t take them as prescribed.

Health behavior refers to the ability to act in accordance with medical advice given by healthcare providers, including taking medications as prescribed or following medical recommendations regarding diet and exercise habits (Gosney & Kearney).

Why is health literacy important?

Health literacy is the ability to understand and use information in order to make decisions about health. Health literacy skills are essential for patients and their families, as well as health care providers, to help people make informed decisions about their health and use the services provided by their health care system.

The importance of health literacy is growing as the population ages and lives longer with more complex conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. In addition, many people do not have ready access to affordable preventive care or treatment because they are uninsured or underinsured.

Health literacy affects all areas of life, including:

Making informed decisions about your health care: Patients who are able to effectively communicate with their doctors and nurses can take an active role in managing their own health. They can better understand instructions regarding medications or follow up with recommended tests or treatments. This will help them live longer, healthier lives.

Why do people need to understand health information?

The need for understanding health information is a universal human quality. As such, it is a common element of all cultures and societies.

The need to understand health information is an inherent part of being human. The ability to understand what we are told by our doctors and other health professionals is as important as the ability to understand other types of information that we receive from other sources.

Understanding health information is essential in making informed decisions about one’s own health and well-being. People can use this knowledge to make choices about their own lifestyles and behaviours, so that they can improve their own health.

People will use the information they have obtained from their doctors or other healthcare professionals to decide how best to treat themselves when they are ill or injured, how best to avoid becoming ill or injured in the first place, and how best to live well overall.

Health literacy has also been shown to have an impact on preventing chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes; diseases which are often treated by GP’s or hospital specialists. It has also been shown that people who are more knowledgeable about their own health conditions are more likely to adhere to treatment plans prescribed by doctors

How does health literacy impact people’s abilities in the workplace?

Health literacy is the ability to read, understand and use health information. Health literacy is closely linked with health outcomes, as individuals with lower levels of health literacy tend to have poorer health status and higher mortality rates than those with higher levels of health literacy. Among other things, health information can be presented in multiple ways — from written documents such as pamphlets or flyers to oral communications such as conversations between doctors and patients.

The impact of low health literacy on people’s abilities in the workplace has been studied by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), an agency within the U.S. Department of Education that reports on national education data. The NCES found that adults who have low levels of health literacy are less likely to receive preventive care, more likely to be hospitalized for preventable conditions and more likely to lack confidence in their ability to manage their own medical care. In addition, people with poor health literacy may have difficulty understanding instructions from their employer or supervisor at work if they need instructions written out in plain language or if they need help navigating office computer programs such as email or word processing software programs.

How can an employer raise employee health literacy?

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Employers can help raise employee health literacy by:

Providing resources that can support employees’ efforts to improve their health. These could include online tools and apps that provide information on nutrition and physical activity, or connect to workplace wellness programs.

Helping employees identify and overcome barriers to healthy living and work-life balance. For example, if an employee has trouble finding time for exercise during the day, a manager could offer suggestions about how to fit it into their schedule or design a walking group that meets at lunchtime each day.

Making sure all employees have access to affordable health care coverage so they can take advantage of any company-sponsored programs or incentives related to staying healthy and active on the job.