Health Literacy Resources

HEALTH LITERACY RESOURCES

Health literacy is critical to mission readiness. Those with accurate knowledge about the body and disease have a better understanding of the relationship between lifestyle choices and health outcomes. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) reports that only 11 percent of adults with military insurance (active or retired service members and their family members) are proficient in health literacy [1] – an alarmingly low number.

This page offers health information disseminators tools and resources to help teach Sailors, Marines, beneficiaries, and DoD civilians how to understand basic health information so as patients, they can navigate their doctor visits and make better decisions about their health. This will help them improve their overall health and maintain medical readiness for military service.

Key Resources

Posters

• Bring All Your Medicines to Every Appointment! (HHS)
• Do You Have Trouble Remembering To Take Your Medicines? (HHS)

Fact Sheets

• Easy Ways to Improve Patients' Health Literacy (NMCPHC HPW)
• Four Tips on Talking to Your Doctor for Better Health (NMCPHC HPW)
• Cut Through the Clutter: Find Health Info on the Web (NMCPHC HPW)
• How to Make Health Information Make Sense (NMCPHC HPW)
• Understanding Supplement and Drug Interactions (NMCPHC HPW)
• Get Answers to Your Medication Questions (TRICARE)
• How to Read Drug Labels (HHS)
• Medical Dictionary (Medline Plus)

Guides and Brochures

• Take Charge of Your Health Between Health Care Visits Infographic (NMCPHC HPW)
• Consumer Updates (FDA)
• Drug Interactions: What You Should Know (FDA)
• Talking With Your Doctor (NIH)

For Health Educators

• Plain Language (CDC)
• Mind Your Jargon (CDC)
• What's Your Point? (CDC)
• Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals (CDC)
• The Health Communicator's Social Media Toolkit (CDC)
• Simply Put: A Guide for Creating Easy to Understand Material (CDC)
• Making Data Talk: Communicating Health Data to the Public (National Cancer Institute)
• Clear Communication: Health Literacy (NIH)
• Best Practices in Public Reporting (HHS)
• Enhancing Patient Understanding of Medical Procedures (NIH)

Interactive Resources

• Understanding Medical Words (NIH NLM)
• Videos & Tools (MedLine Plus)
• Learn About Health Literacy (CDC)
• Talking to Your Doctor (NIH)
• Medicines In My Home (FDA)

Learn More

• Military Health System
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy (HHS)
• National Institutes of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) National Health Education Week: October

References

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. America's Health Literacy: Why We Need Accessible Health Information. http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/issuebrief/. Published 2008. Accessed August 2015.