Five alarm fire

Health literacy thought leaders are sounding the alarm to increase health literacy levels for organizations and individuals. Some refer to low health literacy levels as a silent epidemic, a conclusion resulting from reports that 80 million American have limited or low health literacy levels.

The word “silent” applies simply because a number of health organizations have not voluntarily incorporated the tools necessary to impact health literacy improvement.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality describes 10 attributes of health literate organizations. (http://ahrq.gov ) While we are working with communities to improve individual health literacy levels, it is imperative that health systems buy in to the movement by changing systemic practices outlined in research driven results.

Sound the alarm!! What good is healthcare if it does not improve health.