LibGuides: Health Literacy: Health Literacy Overview

What is health literacy?

One of the most cited definitions of health literacy is, “The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions.”¹ However, the concept health literacy has evolved to place more emphasis on health literacy as a collaborative process between the health care consumer and the health care provider as a way to achieve optimum health outcomes.

¹Pleasant, A., R. E. Rudd, et.al. 2016. Considerations for a New Definition of Health Literacy. NAM Perspectives. Discussion Paper, National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. doi: 10.31478/201604a

The resources listed below can serve as a good starting point for learning about health literacy issues.

Health Literacy Fact Sheets
A series of fact sheets created by the Center for Health Care Strategies.
Resource Center for Health Literacy
Website from the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland, with links to information on health literacy, clear communication, plain language, and cultural competence.

Health Literacy Research

Community-Based Health Literacy Interventions
Summarizes the presentations and discussions from the Roundtable on Health Literacy workshop held on July 19, 2017 on community-based health literacy intervention
Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion
One of the seminal publications in the health literacy field. Examines the body of knowledge that applies to the field of health literacy; recommends actions to promote a health literate society.
The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy
Report describes how health literacy varies across the population and where adults with different levels of health literacy obtain information about health issues.
Innovations in Health Literacy Research
Summary of the 2011 IOM Workshop.

Library Health and Science Databases

Use these library databases to search for more articles on health literacy.

CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new window
Journals, dissertations and books for nursing and allied health research.
ProQuest Health & Medical Collection This link opens in a new window
Clinical research plus consumer and health administration titles
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Bibliographic information covering a variety of medical disciplines.