A new level of understanding. Health insurers are developing health literacy initiatives and taking steps to help consumers get clear information.
Education experts are issuing an important warning to their health care colleagues: Few Americans understand their health care information. That's the conclusion drawn from a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) survey that assessed the health literacy of 19,000 adults, only to conclude that the nation's health literacy is dangerously low and may even become a health risk for some. The data, which revealed that fewer than one in six adults and only one in three seniors has proficient health literacy--defined as an ability to understand, read, interpret, and then act on health care information--shed new light on health literacy as a significant operational issue for health care, business, and health plan executives.
Kantor
Aileen
A
PR Healthcare, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
D032882:Comprehension; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007348:Insurance, Health; D014481:United States