Post 3: Health Literacy and Policy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls 2010 the “tipping point” for health literacy becoming part of mainstream health policy (2011).  The Affordable Care Act of 2010, a key piece of legislation for the Obama administration and pivotal for America as a whole, provides consumers with protection, new coverage options and assists in giving consumers the necessary tools to make informed choice about their health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). While this law gives citizens protection and holds the private sector more responsible than it has ever been for the health of a society- government agencies, medical personnel, health educators and the public will be responsible for the innovation it will take to make the most of this new law. In 2010, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wrote the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy based on the principles that (1) everyone has a right to health information that helps them make informed decisions and (2) health services should be delivered in ways that are understandable and beneficial to health, longevity, and quality of life (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Although some people may experience a limited accessibility to health information, in today’s information age, a larger problem is how to evaluate that information and make informed decisions as consumers of health care. The national action plan aims to help consumers make sense of the information they receive and was written based on input during the years 2006-2009 from various sources such as the Surgeon General’s Workshop on Improving Health Literacy, a series of town hall meetings and feedback from stakeholders, all which contributed to the set of seven defined goals:

1.      Develop and disseminate health and safety information that is accurate, accessible, and actionable.

2.      Promote change in the health care system that improve health information, communication, informed decision-making, and access to health services.

3.      Incorporate accurate, standards-based, and developmentally appropriate health and science information and curricula in child care and education through the university level.

4.      Support and expand local efforts to provide adult education, English language instruction, and culturally and linguistically appropriate health information services in the community.

5.      Build partnerships, develop guidance and change policies.

6.      Increase basic research and the development, implementation and evaluation of practices and interventions to improve health literacy.

7.      Increase the dissemination and use of evidence-based health literacy practices and interventions (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.).

This action plan is a guide for policy makers, health educators and medical staff. Legislation such as the Plain Writing Act of 2010 supports the action plan. The Plain Writing Act signed on October 13, 2010 requires that federal government agencies write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a “clear, concise, well-organized” manner for the benefit of the public (Plain Language Action and Information Network, 2011). The Plain Writing Act is an example of how the government is holding its own agencies responsible for effective communication with the public. Health care systems should follow this example and recognize the opportunity they have to educate their patients through clear, effective, patient-centered communication.