16
Health literacy and health information producers
12
Are there any resources, publications, training or events about health literacy
that you have found to be particularly useful and informative?
This was a free field response and many
respondents used keywords including ‘Information
Standard’, ‘NHS’ and ‘training’. A large number of
resources were stated, including websites, seminars
and newsletters.
These are some examples:
‘PIF website, NHS Choices and Patient.co.uk’
‘In-house training on questioning skills and
delivering health information.’
‘The Information Standard seminars are quite
broad in their scope and link quite closely to
health literacy.’
‘Health Libraries Group newsletter, CILIP Update,
Journal of Information Science.’
At this point in the survey a definition
for Health Literacy was given:
‘
The ability to read, understand and act
on health information
.’
Some information about health
literacy was also given:
The American Medical Association
(1999) found health literacy to be a
stronger predictor of health status than
age, income, educational level, race or
employment status
.
Low health literacy levels are likely to be
more prevalent among ethnic minorities,
older people, lower socioeconomic
groups and those with long term health
problems and disability.
