title: Health services and health literacy: from the rationale to the many facets of a fundamental concept. A literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to make a critical analysis of the different definitions of health literacy to provide a framework of the concept.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC, Health Evidence, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Cochrane Library. Google and OpenGrey were searched to find additional papers and unpublished works.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 7000 papers founded, we selected 26 works. During the 1990s, authors began to systematically study the relationship between health literacy and health status, according to a public health view. In the first decade of the new century, a new fundamental definition established three progressive degrees of health literacy: functional, interactive and critical health literacy. Sørensen (in 2012) provided a framework for the development of new assessment tools and interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improvement of health literacy is a powerful tool for the development of a new type of relationship between individuals and the health system.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento Regionale Infortuni e Malattie Professionali, Regione Toscana, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldasseroni
authors.affiliation: Scuola di Specializzazione in Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara Rita
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Porchia
authors.affiliation: Scuola di Specializzazione in Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capecchi
mesh_terms: D057220:Health Literacy / Q000639:trends*; D006296:Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans