Health Tip: Defining Health Literacy

Health literacy
refers to how well people get access to the health information and services they need, and their ability to make informed decisions based on this access.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, more than 90 million adults have poor health literacy.

This can lead to poor management of chronic diseases, and inability to lead a healthy lifestyle. As a result, these people will have poorer health overall and probably will have to visit the hospital more frequently, the agency says.

Source: HealthDay