eLearning - Health literacy: You can make a difference

Summary

Health literacy is about people having enough knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to use health information, be active partners in their care and navigate health and social care systems. Health literacy levels in the UK are low, with 43% of 16 to 65-year-olds in England struggling with text-based health information and 61% unable to understand health information that includes both text and numbers.

This e-learning resource by Health Education England and NHS Scotland aims to help people working in health and social care understand and promote health literacy.

Content

This e-learning session takes about 30 minutes to complete and covers:

• why health literacy is important
• how to use some simple techniques to improve communication, including TeachBack, chunk and check and using pictures and simple language.

Learning objectives

• List the benefits of health literacy to individuals and services
• List health literacy tools and techniques
• Explain how to use health literacy tools and techniques
• Describe the impact of health literacy on people’s health choices
• Create a personal action plan to be health literacy friendly