The AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 2nd edition, can help primary care practices reduce the complexity of health care, increase patient understanding of health information, and enhance support for patients of all health literacy levels.
Health literacy universal precautions are the steps that practices take when they assume that all patients may have difficulty comprehending health information and accessing health services. Health literacy universal precautions are aimed at:
Simplifying communication with and confirming comprehension for all patients, so that the risk of miscommunication is minimized.
Making the office environment and health care system easier to navigate.
Supporting patients' efforts to improve their health.