Health Literacy and Education

Health literacy is an aspect of our personal health care that we cannot afford to ignore, as research indicates that more health literacy leads to better overall health. It can be a difficult and time consuming task, as understanding medical science and how it connects to health and disease can get complicated quickly. Yet it is something that we should teach our children and continue to strive to learn as an adult.

However, in today’s connected world, there are so many sources of information; it is difficult to know who and what sources to trust. That is why it is essential for health care communicators to vigilantly seek best practices in health literacy – including providers, community health educators, public health departments, or anyone involved in the health literacy and education process. This also means understanding the integral role of cultural competent care and health education, as often times cultural differences can lead to a lower quality of care.

Resources

Regional

  • application/pdf iconKansas City Regional Poverty Trends Update

    Presented by United Way, January 2012. Link will open a pdf document.

  • application/pdf iconKansas City Area Poverty 2010

    Presented by United Way, 2011. Link will open a pdf document.

  • Missourians' life expectancy
  • Kansas Health Matters brings health data to life
  • Missouri Health Matters
  • Kansas Health Literacy Council

    A group of organizations dedicated to coordinating health literacy initiatives throughout Kansas; linking Kansas to state and national resources on health literacy including funding opportunities; and advising practitioners on best practices related to building health literacy among key population groups.

  • Health Literacy and Health Disparities

    Center for Health Policy at the University of Missouri, 2009.

  • Health Literacy Missouri

    Advocates for health literacy issues at the state and national level, working to effect policy change, inform stakeholders, and support and initiate grassroots and community activities.

National

  • Spotlight on the States: Map resource

    Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, 2012

  • Health Care Costs: A Primer

    The Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012

  • School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth
  • CDC/DASH Funded Partner Success Stories
  • Health Literacy Resources

    National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

  • Health Literacy Overview and Resources

    at health.gov

  • Health Literacy Month Website (October)

    A time for organizations and individuals worldwide to promote the importance of understandable health information.

  • Health Literacy Out Loud

    A podcast focused on health literacy.

News

National

  • Newly Insured Americans Don’t Understand Basic Healthcare Terms
    The Atlantic, January 22, 2014
    2014-01-23 13:55
  • Airing medical mistakes
    Boston Globe, April 9, 2013
    2013-04-17 11:35

Regional

More News

From the Blogs

Local Health Buzz