This blog is contributed by Dr. Arthur Culbert, a member of the Global Health advisory board, and Executive Director of the non-profit organisation Health Literacy Missouri (HLM), USA.
On May 27, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the
National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. The long-awaited action plan is aimed at
making health information and services easier to understand and use. It seeks
to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals
and families around improving the health literacy of our nation.
The plan comes at an important time. More than 90 million people in the
United States have difficulty understanding and effectively using health
information such as following the directions on prescription drug labels or
understanding insurance forms. However, consumers are increasingly being asked
to take a greater role in managing their health, especially with the recent
passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which stresses
prevention.