The Mission of Health Literacy

Health Disparities

Closing the Gap through Systems Change—a Shared Responsibility

We live in communities that wear many different faces but have one thing in common: the need for health information that recognizes cultural differences, celebrates diversity, and serves every single person equally and with respect. Health literate information reduces health disparities caused by low literacy and limited language skills, poverty, age discrimination, and cultural differences.

The Benefits of Using Health Literate Approaches

When your organization makes health materials easier to find, understand, and use, you may reap a number of benefits. These include improved:

Patient outcomes
Healthcare usage
Patient satisfaction
Value-based reimbursement

"Most Americans face challenges in finding, understanding, and using health information and services.

A national survey showed that 88% of U.S. adults do not have the health literacy skills needed to manage all the demands of the current healthcare system, and 36% have limited personal health literacy. It is our responsibility to change the system so patients do not face these hurdles."

— AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd Edition

"Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others."