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The authors discuss the serious consequences of low health literacy for individual health and the added demands it places on the health care system. Problems resulting from low literacy cause increased health complications and increased hospitalization for patients. Because of the inability for patients to understand medical instructions and directives by health professionals, many patients experience more health problems which lead to additional health care expenditures, translating to billions of dollars for the nation. The authors make important points, but much research is based on studies from a single public hospital. However, the facts presented provide valid information.

This report discusses the affects low health literacy has on a person's health status and why health literacy is important to overall health. Low health literacy affects a person's health status more than any other factor, including education, income, and employment or race. Because people with limited health literacy don't tend to seek preventative care and are less likely to follow prescribed treatments, health is compromised and the possibility of a hospital stay is more likely. The report aptly describes the reasons why health literacy is important.

Health literacy is basic reading and numerical skills that allow a person to function in the health care environment. Even though most adults read at an eighth-grade level, and 20 percent of the population reads at or below a fifth-grade level, most health care materials are written at a 10th-grade level. Older patients are particularly affected because their reading and comprehension abilities are influenced by their cognition and their vision and hearing status. Inadequate health literacy can result in difficulty accessing health care, following instructions from a physician, and taking medication properly. Patients with inadequate health literacy are more likely to be hospitalized than patients with adequate skills. Patients understand medical information better when spoken to slowly, simple words are used, and a restricted amount of information is presented. For optimal comprehension and compliance, patient education material should be written at a sixth-grade or lower reading level, preferably including pictures and illustrations. All patients prefer reading medical information written in clear and concise language. Physicians should be alert to this problem because most patients are unwilling to admit that they have literacy problems. (Am Fam Physician 2005;72:463-8. Copyright© 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians.)