Health Literacy in Primary Care

Book excerpt: Designated a Doody's Core Title! At the intersection of health care delivery and practice there lies a large area of patient care with no manual: how to provide the best care to patients who have a critically low level of comprehension and literacy. Because all patients play a central role in the outcome of their own health care, competent health care becomes almost impossible for caregivers when the boundary of low literary skills is present. In a concise and well-written format you will learn: Common myths about low literacy Examples of low health care literacy How to recognize patients with low literacy Strategies to help patients with low literacy and reduce medical errors Cultural issues in health literacy Ways to create a patient-friendly office environment How to improve patient communication Guidelines to target and overcome common problems practitioners encounter This clear, well written book is packed with examples and tips and will serve as a much needed guide for primary care providers, nurse practitioners, hospital administrators, and others who are looking for ways to improve their communication with patients and provide the most beneficial health care to their low-literacy patients.