What is Health Literacy?
Health literacy is about people having the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence they need to be able to use healthcare information and services, so that they can be active partners in their healthcare. Health literacy levels in England are very low with 43% of 16 to 65-year-olds having problems understanding written health information; and 61% of 16 to 65-year-olds having difficulties with health information that includes both text and numbers (Rowlands et al., 2015).
Why is it important?
People with low health literacy may be more likely to miss appointments, misunderstand instructions on prescribed medication, miss key information about their healthcare, and make uninformed decisions. Improving health literacy levels can help enhance quality of life, improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for the NHS.
Health Literacy Awareness Training
Do you want to help your patients to better understand, access and use health information, so they can make informed decisions about their health?
We offer Health Literacy Awareness training on one to one or group basis. Health Literacy Awareness training offers healthcare professionals an opportunity to better understand what health literacy is. Attending this session, participants will learn how health literacy affects health outcomes and primarily how limited health literacy can lead to poorer health outcomes. You will also discover tools, techniques and resources to use in practice to support those with limited health literacy.
This course is aimed at anyone with a role in providing information to patients and carers, or who has a responsibility in planning and shaping services. Please email us if you want to book.
Qualifications supported
- HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics: Sections 1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 2.4
- GMC Good Medical Practice: Domain 3: 31, 32, 33, 34, 49, 51
- NMC the Code: 2.1- 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 7.1-7.4
There is a short eLearning course (adapted from reputed sources) on the Trust eLearning platform Learnchelwest (see below screenshot).
Resources to support Health Literacy
e-Learning for healthcare – Health Literacy e-Learning module (login with your OpeAthens to access this module)
Accessible Information Standard– Information on the legal responsibility all NHS organisations have to provide appropriate information to people with disabilities
Plain English Campaign– Provides advice on writing in an accessible way
Teach Back – The Health Literacy Place – Tools &Techniques
Patient Information Forum– Provides many useful resources and courses
‘Please, write to me’ campaign guidance– Information on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges campaign to improve letters to patients
Quality Accreditation Schemes
The following schemes are an indicator of trustworthy and quality health information. Certification or membership is granted if information meets strict criteria.
HONcode CertificationThe Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) for medical and health Web sites addresses one of Internet’s main healthcare issues: the reliability and credibility of information
PIF TICK is the quality mark for UK health information. To be awarded the PIF TICK an organisation must show its health information production process meets 10 criteria
Health Literacy Statistics
Discover the percentage of the population of your area and others with low health literacy and numeracy.
Map of the estimated prevalence of low health literacy University of Southampton and Health Education England (2020) Health Literacy. Available at: http://healthliteracy.geodata.uk/
