How is your health literacy?

Here’s the definition of healthcare literacy that I picked up from the health.gov, the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

“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 decisions.”

That’s kind of a mouthful. So I will break it down in terms of the way that I personally think of health literacy, and the way that I talk about it with my clients. Health literacy skills include:

• Knowing where to find information about your condition, including knowing the difference between trustworthy and not so trustworthy information.

• Being able to use the information you obtain to team up with your healthcare team, including asking questions about what you learned as well as making suggestions. And maybe even pushing back, based on what you have learned.

• Making informed decisions regarding the treatment of your chronic condition, as well how to maintain an optimal self-care routine.

• And being aware of what services are available to you, as well as how to get the most from your insurance company or Medicare/Medicaid.

Basically, health literacy provides the foundation you need to be an empowered healthcare consumer. After all, it’s a whole lot easier to take charge of your healthcare when you are confident in knowing what you’re talking about. Before you become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, health literacy occurs over time.

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Also, my website of the month:

Testing.com is an educational web resource with hundreds of easy-to-read lab testing guides, all reviewed by our Medical Review Board of experts. We also offer confidential, secure and convenient online lab test ordering powered by trusted physician networks.

Check out testing.com