What does health literacy mean?

Health literacy is an individual's ability to understand and utilize various health services and information. This typically relates to a patient’s ability to take medications properly, to understand and use the information their provider is giving them and to choose between two different insurance plans, and basically, to make the best or soundest decisions they can when it comes to their medical care. We found that patients who don't have the health literacy they need, under-utilize medical care, don't search out the appropriate amount of preventative services that they need, have more hospitalizations and overall their health is poorer. Oftentimes, patients have no experience navigating the healthcare system and they kind of get lost in the shuffle. Maybe they're too embarrassed to ask their doctor for help and that's a lot of times, where us, as care providers, need to offer a hand, and, and make sure that, that the individual or patient is able to navigate through things.