Running head: HEALTH LITERACY PAPER 1 HEALTH LITERACY PAPER 8 Health Literacy Paper Student’s Name Institution’s Name Date Health Literacy Paper In order for the population to have knowledge regarding the state of health in the country, it is crucial to visit specific issues affecting the health sector thus the importance of the topic on access to health services. For people to come to the understanding of how access to healthcare has been spread out in the country, this excerpt will strive to explore three areas that directly determine the spectrum in the ability to access health services across the whole population; incorporating the different factors that create variations in people’s abilities. The essay will give the disparities that exist in our social constructs that constitute to a problem that has affected a large part of the population in terms of coverage, availability of services and timeliness in getting medical care; all of which result in a positive or negative effect on the overall achievement of a healthy status among people. Additional information on the changing/ emerging trends in the provision of health services and improvements in access will be discussed to show the growth that has been attained with changing times and the effects that can be achieved through the continual increase in knowledge and information in the population regarding the matter. The essay will conclude with a brief summary of the important points on the topic together with the provision of the necessary steps to take to tackle disparities that cause variations in access to health care throughout the population. It is crucial to mark the seriousness of the matter that is access to health care considering that in 2007, only 76.3 percent of the population was covered with medical insurance ergo dictating the adverse problem that some of the members of the population faced. The numbers changed upwards by more than 20 million in 2010 with the introduction of Patient Protection and Affordable Care but the underlying problem is still in existence since millions of Americans still lack insurance coverage (National HealthCare Quality Report, 2013). The importance of taking a medical cover on a people’s health is a subject that has not been grasped by many leading to avoidable consequences such as high medical bills, high mortality and morbidity rates and late discovery of diseases due to lack of ability to access basic services. The lack of coverage in the field can be associated with a lack of knowledge and understanding of how the system works. This factor can be attributed to low literacy levels of persons due to low educational levels, lack of informative channels that directly instruct citizens on what to do and the lack of advice on how to get insurance deals that work with different levels in the affordability among the pop.

1. Running head: HEALTH LITERACY PAPER
1
HEALTH LITERACY PAPER
8
Health Literacy Paper
Student’s Name
Institution’s Name
Date
Health Literacy Paper
In order for the population to have knowledge regarding the
state of health in the country, it is crucial to visit specific issues
affecting the health sector thus the importance of the topic on
access to health services. For people to come to the
understanding of how access to healthcare has been spread out
in the country, this excerpt will strive to explore three areas that
directly determine the spectrum in the ability to access health
services across the whole population; incorporating the different
factors that create variations in people’s abilities. The essay
will give the disparities that exist in our social constructs that
constitute to a problem that has affected a large part of the
population in terms of coverage, availability of services and
timeliness in getting medical care; all of which result in a
positive or negative effect on the overall achievement of a
healthy status among people. Additional information on the
changing/ emerging trends in the provision of health services
and improvements in access will be discussed to show the
growth that has been attained with changing times and the
effects that can be achieved through the continual increase in
knowledge and information in the population regarding the
matter. The essay will conclude with a brief summary of the
important points on the topic together with the provision of the

2. necessary steps to take to tackle disparities that cause variations
in access to health care throughout the population.
It is crucial to mark the seriousness of the matter that is access
to health care considering that in 2007, only 76.3 percent of the
population was covered with medical insurance ergo dictating
the adverse problem that some of the members of the population
faced. The numbers changed upwards by more than 20 million
in 2010 with the introduction of Patient Protection and
Affordable Care but the underlying problem is still in existence
since millions of Americans still lack insurance coverage
(National HealthCare Quality Report, 2013). The importance of
taking a medical cover on a people’s health is a subject that has
not been grasped by many leading to avoidable consequences
such as high medical bills, high mortality and morbidity rates
and late discovery of diseases due to lack of ability to access
basic services. The lack of coverage in the field can be
associated with a lack of knowledge and understanding of how
the system works. This factor can be attributed to low literacy
levels of persons due to low educational levels, lack of
informative channels that directly instruct citizens on what to
do and the lack of advice on how to get insurance deals that
work with different levels in the affordability among the
population (Millman, 1993). There are several plans that people
can take to cover their medical needs, all different in the range/
payments plans. The lack of a medical cover has been
associated to the different disparities that exist in the
population such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and
race; some of the factors being intertwined to create a vicious
cycle. Often, people find themselves in large debts due to
medical bills too late when serious illnesses such as cancer,
which entail large sums of money to treat, are discovered of
them. Among some of the advantages of having a medical
coverage plan, early detection of diseases, enhanced through
consistent and regular visits to health provision centers, goes a
long way in achieving, preventing and maintaining health

3. standards that the health sector wishes to reach (Hadley, 2007).
Obtaining a medical coverage plan is bound to prepare the
population in hasty tackling of illnesses whenever they appear
and prevention of serious illness wherever it is possible.
Access to health services cannot be linked to a lack of coverage
only; the basic availability of health centers in the provision of
medical intervention has also been identified as a major factor.
In some cases, the mere existence of a health service provider is
lacking in an area; some parts of the population are located in
rural areas whereby health service providers are found in distant
areas hence timely delivery of the needed services is hard.
Hereby, the morbidity and mortality rates of the area are seen to
rise since illnesses are discovered in the late stages and cases of
emergencies are responded to after a long time ergo bringing
about situations that could have been prevented. Additionally,
the availability of services can be looked at in the aspect of the
provision of long term medical services. In this, the availability
of a Primary Care Provider (PCP) that deals with patients from
a specific locale create an atmosphere that is well versed to
tackle the health problems of people in the area. With the
availability of a PCP that is consistent, a healthcare provider
interacts with his/ her patients well in creating better
communication between them, better service delivery, lower
mortality rates, and greater patient trust in the provider. The
PCP is also able to facilitate control measures on a population
since the spread of a disease can be curbed early hen discovery
and risk of infection is identified in part of the population e.g.
vaccination against fever and further necessitation of healthy
behavior among the members of the population. Still on the
aspect of the availability of services, Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) count as vital points in service delivery. The
quick response of emergency services go a great deal in the
preservation of life thus in a remote area, there is a high chance
of failure to find such services. The health sector has improved
consistently over the years in ensuring that patients receive
quick medical interventions in cases of emergencies although

4. steps for further development in rural areas should be
considered (Starfield and Shi, 2004).
Thirdly, the timeliness in access to health services is a
paramount feature in ensuring the health and preservation of
people’s lives. The timeliness of a health provider to necessitate
the needed care after an illness has been diagnoses goes a long
way in keeping the mortality rates low together with preventing
additional costs of services. A quick response also aids in
reducing emotional stress on the patient and the family together
with reducing the spread of the illness. Medical practitioners
need to brush up on their delivery of clinical services to reduce
the overall lack of access to the public due to long waiting
periods and decreased customer satisfaction (Hsai and Tabas,
2009).
In conclusion, it is apparent that the effects of lack of access to
medical services are far-reaching and are often times
preventable. The major milestones that can be considered while
dealing with access to medical care can be summarized to
insurance coverage, availability of the services and the
timeliness in delivery of the services. Additionally, it is evident
that the differences in ethnicity, age, socioeconomic,
geographic, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and
disability status all aid at creating variations in the ability to
access medical care in the country. However, it is paramount to
attest to the growth in development that the modern age has
brought about in the medical field. Improvements in the number
of people who are covered in some sort of insurance cover has
consistently been on the rise especially with recent
developments in the Medicaid and the Medicare plans proposed
in America Additionally, a gradual rise in the number of people
who associate themselves with a certain Primary Care Provider
(PCP) has increased hence bringing about a steady control of
diseases and increased preservation of life. The reaction to
emergency situations that arise in day to day basis has also been
improved with emergency service delivery teams being
deployed within minutes of the report. However, the issue of

5. access to medical services is still in the spotlight with a
majority of low income, minority groups and disabled/
disadvantaged persons being unable to acquire these vital
provisions. Steps toward the improvement in the sector need to
be taken both on personal and communal ranks to ensure the
mortality and morbidity rates are reduced and further achieve
health equity in the nation.
Factsheet
Problem
· The main agenda is access to health services with specific
concentration given to the factors that hinder it.
Causes
· Lack of an insurance coverage plan
· Unavailability of health services
· Timeliness in the delivery of services
Effects
· Heavy costs burden due to lack of health insurance
· Stress due to long waiting hours while receiving medical help
· Mortality due to late detection of illnesses.
· Lack of preventive measures being taken due to inconsistent
visitation to healthcare units
· An overall rise in morbidity due to poor health routines and
behaviors.
· Unnecessary or rather preventable hospitalization due to late
discovery of diseases.
Prevention and Improvements that can be taken
· You should ensure that you have taken a health insurance
cover for you and your family.
· Take the necessary steps to get regular visitation schedules

6. with a doctor, preferably near your locale.
· Ensure that the geographical location you live in has a quick
response team during emergencies
· Practice better health habits whenever possible. These include
frequent medical check-ups and healthy living lifestyles.
References
Hadley J. (2007) Insurance coverage, medical care use, and
short-term health changes following an unintentional injury or
the onset of a chronic condition. JAMA 297 (10):1073-84
Millman M. (1993) Access to Health Care in America Institute
of Medicine, Committee on Monitoring Access to Personal
Health Care Services. Washington, DC: National Academies
Press.
National Healthcare Quality Report (2013) Chapter 10: Access
to Healthcare. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality. Retrieved from:
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr15/access.ht
ml
Starfield B, Shi L. (2004) the medical home, access to care, and
insurance Pediatrics Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15121917
Hsai RY, Tabas JA. (2009) the increasing weight of increasing
waits. Chicago, USA: Arch Intern Med
Assignment #4: Health Promotion
YOU MAY SUBMIT THIS ASSIGNMENT BY CLICKING ON
THE "ASSIGNMENTS" TAB &
UPLOADING TO DROPBOX
PART I: Health Promotion / Health Literacy Paper
PART II: Patient Factsheet
Both DUE in Canvas by 11:59 EST on 2/11/19

7. PART I: Patient education materials are designed to give /
reinforce knowledge, improve
understanding and compliance, and serve as a resource for
patients. To complete this assignment,
students will identify a topic of their choice from the Healthy
People 2020 Topics & Objectives list
(https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives (Links
to an external site.)Links to an
external site.). Students will write a 3-4 page APA paper on
their chosen topic. In their paper
students will discuss the topic, including description, incidence,
costs, goals, and it’s overall impact
on the population at large. Students must have a minimum of 3
current references to support their
work.
PARTII:
For the second part of this assignment students will create a
patient centered educational pamphlet
or handout (“factsheet”) that summarizes the problem and can
aid in improving knowledge and
understanding of the chosen topic. Additional resources for this
assignment can be found at:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/pdf/Simply_Put.pdf (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external
site.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/developmaterials/plainlangu
age.html (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.
Grading Rubric: Health Promotion Paper (worth 80% of
assignment) Percentage Worth
APA format (title page, reference page, double-space, running
head) 10 %
Topic chosen is from appropriate resource (Healthy People
2020) & specific 10%
The problem is clearly identified & includes discussion on

8. incidence rates, 60%
costs, goals, desired outcomes (largely why is this a problem /
goal)
Grading Rubric: Factsheet (worth 20% of assignment)
Pamphlet should be aesthetically pleasing, attractive to the
reader with organized structure (i.e. use
of Illustrations, headings, subheadings). It should be literacy
appropriate (evidence that the CDC
toolkit for health literacy was utilized). It should include
current data regarding the problem
(incidence, costs) and should be culturally appropriate and / or
inclusive of cultural specific
wording. Factsheet MUST BE submitted as an appendix to the
Health Promotion Paper.