October is health literacy month. This is a time to recognize the importance of making health information easy to understand.
What is health literacy?
Health literacy means your ability to collect and understand your health information so you can make the best decisions for your unique situation.
Why is health literacy important?
Health literacy is important for everyone, because at some point in your life you will need use and understand health information and services.
Having good health literacy skills allows you to:
find information about your health conditions
find the health services you need
tell your healthcare providers about your needs and preferences
answer questions about your health conditions and your needs
understand the choices you have about treatments, doctors, facilities, and services
decide what options are best for you when it comes to your healthcare
understand and stick to your treatment plan
How can you improve your health literacy?
There are also steps you can take to improve your own health literacy:
Ask your health care provider questions
Repeat what your health care provider tells you in your own words
If possible, bring a friend or loved one with you to your appointment
Keep a list of questions for your health care provider
Ask for a translator or bring one, if needed
Ask if there are materials you can use to help you understand
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet!
It is also important to learn how you can improve your health and learn about your health conditions. Here are some options where you can get reliable health information:
Talk to your health care provider
Attend one of TW FHT’s health education workshops
Visit one of UHN Patient and Family Learning Centres
