LibGuides: Health Literacy: Intro

Definition of Health Literacy

Healthy People 2030 recognizes two components of health literacy, personal health literacy and organizational health literacy.

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 equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Health Literacy
Defines health literacy and outlines how health professionals can help from the Health Resources & Services Administration
Health Literacy and Communication
Key tools and resources from the Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion.
Health Literacy
Overview of health literacy, including research findings and the economic impact of low health literacy from the National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus Health Literacy
Links to information about health literacy, including clinical trials, journal articles and glossaries.

Clear Communication
Focuses on providing information that is accessible to audiences based on cultural competence and incorporating plain language approaches and new technologies.
NC Program on Health Literacy
This group’s goal is to further health literacy collaborations among university disciplines to improve health outcomes.
Program for Readability In Science & Medicine (PRISM)
Initiative to improve readability of consent forms and other print materials used in communication with study participants.
National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy
Seeks to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals, and families in a linked, multisector effort to improve health literacy.