Many Americans, whether English-speaking or with limited English proficiency, lack the language skills necessary to navigate the health care system.

You have certainly heard of “literacy” and “illiteracy,” but are you aware of the concept of “health literacy”?

The National Academy on an Aging Society gives the following definition of health literacy:

Health literacy refers to the set of skills needed to read, understand, and act on basic health care information.

So, if you have ever been totally confused by what a doctor is saying to you, you have encountered a health literacy problem.

Unfortunately, for some Americans, this problem is chronic – and these citizens end up taking a heavy financial toll on the health care system.

In a fact sheet on the subject, the Academy emphasizes that low health literacy is indeed costly. First, Americans with low health literacy stay in hospitals longer. Also, while some go to the doctor’s more often than “health-literate” Americans, others rely on expensive hospital visits when a doctor’s appointment would do.

Since many patients with low health literacy skills are also uninsured or under-insured, they bear some financial responsibility for the extra cost of their care. Yet, as the fact sheet concludes; “health care providers and those that finance those providers share the burden.”

While the Academy’s fact sheet on health literacy does not directly address the issue of LEP (limited English proficiency) patients, it is clear that in some cases, they can fall in the health-illiterate category – especially if they are not provided with culturally appropriate medical language services.

Betty Carlson

See Also

• Language Translation, Inc.
  A leading language translation and interpretation service provider for more than 20 years.