Report
Note: Workshop Summaries contain the opinion of the presenters, but do NOT reflect the conclusions of the IOM. Learn more about the differences between Workshop Summaries and Consensus Reports.
There is great enthusiasm over the use of emerging interactive health information technologies--often referred to as eHealth--and the potential these technologies have to improve the quality, capacity, and efficiency of the health care system. eHealth includes such technologies as electronic personal health records; electronic health education libraries; and online personal health journals and self-assessment tools. eHealth has the potential to improve access to the health care system for those whose access is impeded, for example, individuals who live far from a health care provider.
However, many doctors, advocacy groups, policy makers and consumers are concerned that electronic health systems might help individuals and communities with greater resources while leaving behind those with limited access to technology. Even if equal access to technology could be ensured, most health websites are designed for people with a strong understanding of health information, also known as health literacy. Yet with the average U.S. adult reading at an eighth grade level, many people may be ill-equipped to take advantage of new health technologies even if they can access them.
In order to address this problem, the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop to explore the current status of communication technology, the challenges for its use in populations with low health literacy, and the strategies for increasing the benefit of these technologies for populations with low health literacy. The summary of the workshop, Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First, includes participants' comments on these issues.
Other Reports by this Activity
Displaying: 3 of 7 Reports
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Improving Health Literacy Within a State - Workshop Summary
Nearly half of all American adults lack health literacy – an individual’s ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information. In order to improve knowledge among these 90 million people, the IOM, along with the UCLA Anderson School of Management, held a workshop on November 30, 2010, to explore ways in which state-based organizations and individuals can work to improve health literacy.
Released: November 14, 2011
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Promoting Health Literacy to Encourage Prevention and Wellness - Workshop Summary
Several studies have found that health literacy – an individual’s ability to understand and retain information to make proper health decisions – makes a difference in how much populations use preventive services. The IOM’s Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop to explore approaches to integrate health literacy in to primary and secondary prevention. The workshop featured presentations and discussions on select topics related to health literacy’s role in preventive health care.
Released: November 1, 2011
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Health Literacy Implications for Health Care Reform - Workshop Summary
Due to low health literacy—the degree to which one can understand and make decisions based on health information—many people may have difficulty understanding what coverage they are eligible for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; making informed choices about what is best for them and their families; and completing the enrollment process. On November 10, 2010, the IOM Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop to explore opportunities to advance health literacy in association with the implementation of health care reform.
Released: July 15, 2011
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