Health Dialog today released testimony on the importance of addressing health literacy in healthcare communications. The testimony was presented before the ERISA Advisory Council during a hearing on July 1, 2010. The council advises the U.S. Secretary of Labor on a number of employee benefits-related issues.
“There is a marked disconnect between the demands of today's U.S. healthcare system and the actual level of people's ability to interact with it. As a result, some speculate that poor health literacy costs the healthcare system from $106-$238 billion a year.”
Health literacy is an individual's ability to understand and act upon health information. With 90 million Americans exhibiting limited health literacy skills1, government bodies have become increasingly interested in examining how this can be improved, particularly with 32 million new healthcare consumers entering the system now that healthcare reform has been enacted.
Senior Manager of Outreach Communications Theresa Hay testified on behalf of Health Dialog. "Poor quality health communications affect not only the health of individuals but also the long-term success of the organizations working to improve people's health," said Hay. "There is a marked disconnect between the demands of today's U.S. healthcare system and the actual level of people's ability to interact with it. As a result, some speculate that poor health literacy costs the healthcare system from $106-$238 billion a year." 2
Individuals must have usable healthcare information, tools, and support. Clear, concise messaging is urgently necessary to ensure that patients and their families receive the care they need. The current healthcare system simply does not meet individuals where they are.
"Research shows that patients who have a basic understanding of medical information will do a better job of taking action on their health," continued Hay. "Whether individuals have GEDs or PhDs, providing health communications that take health literacy levels into consideration is vital to effectively relaying health information. For health plans and employer groups, clear communications directly translate into better served members and employees and - ultimately, lower healthcare costs."
During the hearing, Hay discussed Health Dialog's Clear Language Certification Process which was designed to ensure health literacy best-practices are followed when creating health education materials. Through this process, Health Dialog makes certain that target audiences can easily understand key messages and the health actions that are required.
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