[Should clinicians care about health literacy ? A stimulating framework for reflection on the effectiveness of care]

«Health literacy» refers to the ability to find, understand and use health information. It is a relatively new concept, which is becoming increasingly important but remains little known by clinicians. Still, insufficient levels of health literacy in our patients are common, underestimated and negatively associated with numerous health indicators. A set of practical tools are already available to the clinician. The aim of this article is to present the concept to clinicians and emphasize how it could revitalize reflection on the effectiveness of our interventions in the field. Physicians could take a leadership role in putting the concept of health literacy on the agenda for health care quality improvement.