# health literacy --- **health literacy** Can they understand their plan of care, know when to take their meds, when to take their bloodsugar, when to follow up, etc. [[learning]] • Health and Human Services department Started in 1979 A New standards every 10 years o Added to Healthy People 2030 Initiative • Two basic types of literacy o Personal health Literacy "The degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health related decisions and actions for themselves and others." Make well informed decision rather than just "understand" Understand when to seek care o What is healthy function, worth the cost/burden Who to call How to contact Understand insurance o How, who, how much, Medicaid, Medicare, PPO, HMO,...) Understand and express info with professional Knowledge of hospital structures and relationship to industry o Organizational health literacy Why must nurses be involved with patient health literacy support ? Health Literacy has shifted to a more shared responsibility Nursing relationship roles The nurses role as part of organizational health literacy ___