title: Growing awareness of the importance of health literacy in individuals with COPD.
abstract: Good communication will impact clinical practice by assisting patients in understanding health information as well as medical recommendations. Health literacy is important for communication between healthcare professionals and patients with Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD). In this article we review the concepts, definitions and measurement tools used to evaluate health literacy and recommend ways in which this information may be integrated into clinical practice. Increased awareness of health literacy will assist clinicians to improve patients' knowledge of their disease and adherence to healthcare recommendations.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Shiva
authors: S
authors: Sadeghi
authors: Dina
authors: D
authors: Brooks
authors: Shelley
authors: S
authors: Stagg-Peterson
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004521:Educational Measurement; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D055118:Medication Adherence; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology*