Why literacy matters. Links between reading ability and health

Area of Science:

• Health Literacy
• Medical Education
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Reading and comprehension are vital for modern life.
• A significant portion of the US adult population (47% in 1993) exhibited poor reading skills.
• Medical materials, including patient education, discharge instructions, and consent forms, are frequently written at a reading level too complex for patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the pervasive issue of complex medical material readability.
• To underscore the impact of literacy on patient health outcomes.
• To examine the challenges patients face in a complex healthcare system due to literacy barriers.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on patient material readability across medical specialties.
• Analysis of studies examining the reading levels of patient education materials (e.g., American Academy of Ophthalmology).
• Assessment of the gap between material complexity and general adult reading abilities.

Main Results:

• Numerous studies consistently show medical materials exceed the reading capabilities of a large segment of the patient population.
• Specific examples, like ophthalmic educational materials, demonstrate this widespread readability problem.
• The complexity of healthcare systems further exacerbates the impact of low health literacy.

Conclusions:

• The readability of patient-facing medical information is a critical determinant of health literacy.
• Addressing complex language in healthcare materials is essential for equitable patient understanding and engagement.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the effects of literacy on patient health and healthcare system navigation.