Health Literacy

Before this class session, I was unaware of what the term “health literacy” meant. In fact, I’m not sure if I’ve heard of it before now. Honestly, I did not know that so many people left appointments not understanding the information their doctor told them. It is so important for people to understand their health information and services needed so they can make informed decisions. I learned about strategies to promote health literacy when working with a client. I now understand the critical value of explaining things carefully using terms that can be understood by anyone. Clients who better understand our services are more likely to let us get to know them better, which is important in OT because we want to be client centered. 

I also learned about the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim which includes improving patient’s experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care. This emphasizes the quality and value of care and increases standards. After learning about health literacy, I think that in order to improve the quality and satisfaction of patient's/client’s experience, they need to know exactly what is going on. Hopefully all people who work within healthcare will focus on health literacy strategies.