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.
Understanding and using basic health information and being able to navigate the complexities of the health care system are critical to good health. Health literacy can be difficult to assess, however, as it is not only a measure of individuals’ understanding of health information at various points in time but also a measure of how well various health care systems have been organized. In addition, there is no agreement upon how to judge the effects of health literacy. Existing measures do not capture enough data to understand fully how health literacy influences health or what can be done to improve health literacy. The Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop on February 26, 2009, to examine what is known about measures of health literacy, in particular:
- The current status of measures of health literacy, including those used in the health care setting
- Other possible measures that might be used to assess health literacy
- Ways in which health literacy measures can be used to assess approaches to health care
Measures of Health Literacy summarizes these workshop proceedings.
Other Reports by this Activity
Displaying: 2 of 2 Reports
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Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First. Workshop Summary
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. 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. In order to address this problem, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop.
Released: March 24, 2009
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Standardizing Medication Labels: Confusing Patients Less. Workshop Summary
Standardizing Medication Labels: Confusing Patients Less is the summary of a workshop, held in Washington, D.C. on October 12, 2007, that was organized to examine what is known about how medication container labeling affects patient safety and to discuss approaches to addressing identified problems.
Released: April 22, 2008
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