As the United States population ages, the health literacy of older adults is of great concern. Only 3% of people 65 and older have proficient health literacy skills; twenty-nine percent (29%) have below basic skills.¹ Several factors related to aging play a role in...

Almost 90 million people in the United States have limited ability to find, process, and understand the basic information needed to make appropriate health decisions.1 This skill set, known as health literacy, is vital to making sure all Americans have access to...

Plain language is a communication style that presents information in a way the intended audience can understand, regardless of the complexity of the topic. The use of plain language across health care interactions is vital to improving health literacy. While plain...

“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. But what I do, I understand.”   This quote by Confucius is an important reminder that to truly understand new information, most people have to hear or see it and apply it. This principle is the foundation of the teach...

Research suggests that many people with low health literacy do not tell their family, friends, or health care providers that they have trouble understanding health information.1 Even those with proficient health literacy may struggle when they are sick,...