Low health literacy affects us all. Only 12% of Americans are proficient in health literacy skills and only half of patients take medications as directed. Take this short quiz from HealthEd to test your own skills. Includes statistics and links to helpful literacy Web sites.

3. Guidelines for Creating Materials Harvard School of Public Health. Health Literacy Studies. www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/files/resources_for_creating_materials.pdf

5. Centers for Disease Control Health Literacy Web site http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/index.html

7. Communicating Risks and Benefits: An Evidence-based User's Guide Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Reports/UCM268069.pdf

9. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/communication/hlactionplan/

11. Plain Language Medical Dictionary iPhone app (free) The University of Michigan. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plain-language-medical-dictionary/id443405990?mt=8

13. Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/literacy

15. Real Video Stories of Patients Struggling With Medicine Instructions American College of Physicians Foundation. http://www.acpfoundation.org/hl/hlvideo.htm

17. 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors: Patient Fact Sheet U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/20tips.htm

19. National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15

21. Health Literacy From A to Z, Second Edition: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message Book by Helen Osborne, MEd, OTR/L. http://www.healthliteracymonth.org/hl_month_resources.asp

22. For easy-to-understand handouts visit http://www.healthed.com/news-and-views/health-literacy.aspx