Spring Break
American Health Illiteracy Costs U.S. Billions
Lindsay Fetzner
Issue date: 6/9/08 Section: News
"In my experience working in hospitals in Boston and Hartford area, patients are hesitant to ask questions to doctors and nurses if they don't comprehend the diagnosis or medications they are put on," Morrison said. "Whether it is intimidation or the literacy aspect, it is important for Americans to be advocates for their own health."
For a majority of patients, increasing age comes with increasing prescriptions. The large population of baby boomers will probably make the health literacy problem worse before getting better, according to John Vernon, the leading author of the UConn study.
To address the health illiteracy problem, the Department of Health and Human Services has set the stakes high and has a goal to get rid of health disparities by the year 2010, according to Cindy Brach from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
One major issue that needs to be addressed and refined is health information communication. Often, the health care information patients receive is confusing and complex. Offering people information in a basic manner that everyone can understand would be a start to putting this country on the right path for better health literacy, Brach said. With adequate education and communication, people would be more apt to understand their individual health coverage, how to properly administer their prescriptions and have a better general understanding of their health care as a whole.
Contact Lindsay Fetzner at Lindsay.Fetzner@UConn.edu.
For a majority of patients, increasing age comes with increasing prescriptions. The large population of baby boomers will probably make the health literacy problem worse before getting better, according to John Vernon, the leading author of the UConn study.
To address the health illiteracy problem, the Department of Health and Human Services has set the stakes high and has a goal to get rid of health disparities by the year 2010, according to Cindy Brach from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
One major issue that needs to be addressed and refined is health information communication. Often, the health care information patients receive is confusing and complex. Offering people information in a basic manner that everyone can understand would be a start to putting this country on the right path for better health literacy, Brach said. With adequate education and communication, people would be more apt to understand their individual health coverage, how to properly administer their prescriptions and have a better general understanding of their health care as a whole.
Contact Lindsay Fetzner at Lindsay.Fetzner@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Losing Weight
posted 6/17/08 @ 3:22 PM EST
Because these people cannot pay for their health care, this would be a good reason to make things like smoking and trans fats illegal. Since thesse people are hurting everyone else and the country by using them. (Continued…)
Lemonade Diet
posted 7/20/08 @ 12:32 AM EST
I think that it is time to start teaching kids about health in schools. This is something that they can use the rest of their life unlike other things taught in school. (Continued…)
Vasilica
posted 8/02/08 @ 11:29 AM EST
As long as most Americans (I am not generalizing) prefer to remain ignorant and not ask questions, this problem shall remain a problem. I must say, though, that I have noticed that the health people (doctors, nurses, etc. (Continued…)
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