77 Million U.S. Residents Have Difficulty Understanding Basic Health Information

The number of U.S. residents who have difficulty understanding basic health information, according to a report developed by the University of California at San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital and published by the Institute of Medicine.¹ The report also suggests ways to bridge the gaps to understanding, such as how to make this a priority at every level of the health organization, avoid stigmatizing patients over literacy issues, and adopt proven educational techniques such as teach-back (see “Teach-Back,” September 2012).

Reference

1. Brach C, Keller D, Hernandez LM, et al. Ten attributes of health literate health care organizations. Institute of Medicine website. Available at: http://iom.edu/Global/Perspectives/2012/HealthLitAttributes.aspx. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.