Silent factors impacting healthcare costs in the United States are the levels of health literacy that appear to be overlooked.

1. UNDERSTANDING HEALTH LITERACY
AS A HEALTH CARE COST
E. KELLY, 2016

2. WEBINAR
OCTOBER 22, 2015
PRESENTER – ELIZABETH KELLY, PH.D.,
RN., APN-CH
E. Kelly, 2016

3. YOUR IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH LITERACY

4. U.S. HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURES ARE THE
HIGHEST IN THE WORLD?
Y N

5. $9,255.00
$2.9 TRILLION
17.4% GDP (2013)
SOURCES: CDC; AETNA.ORG

6. • MOST EXPENSIVE HEALTH CARE IN THE WORLD;
• LOWEST RESULTS IN
ACCESS
EFFICIENCY
EQUITY
HEALTHY LIVES
• OVERALL RANKING = 11TH OF 11 INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS
• SOURCE: COMMONWEALTH FUND (2014); OECD

7. U. S. HEALTH CARE DOLLAR
DISTRIBUTION (2013)
• HOSPITAL CARE (32.1%)
• PHYSICIAN AND CLINICAL SERVICES (20.1%)
• PRESECRIPTION DRUGS (9.3%)
• NURSING HOME FACILITIES AND CONTINUING
CARE (RETIREMENT COMMUNITES) (7.3%)
• OTHERS (33.2%) RESEARCH, HEALTH LITERACY,
HOME HEALTH, EQUIPMENT
• SOURCES: CDC, AETNA.ORG

8. U. S. HEALTH EXPENDITURE
OUTCOMES
• LIFE EXPECTANCY;
• EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS;
• INFANT MORTALITY;
• HEALTH STATUS
• SOURCES: WORLD BANK, ORG; OECD; HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020

9. HEALTH LITERACY in the U. S.
• ISSUE EMERGED 10 YEARS AGO
• DEFINED AS - “DEGREE TO WHICH INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO
OBTAIN,
PROCESS,
UNDERSTAND BASIC HEALTH INFORMATION AND
SERVICES
NEEDED TO MAKE APPROPRIATE HEALTH DECISIONS.”
• SOURCES: IOM; PUBLICHEALTH.GWU.EDU

10. HEALTH LITERACY DISTRIBUTION IN
THE U.S. (2003)
HEALTH LITERACY LEVELS DEFINITIONS PERCENTAGES
BELOW BASIC LOCATE NUMBERS AND
INFORMATION;
FOLLOW SIMPLE
DIRECTIONS
14%
BASIC READ AND UNDERSTAND
INFORMATION;
SOLVE SIMPLE PROBLEMS
22%
INTERMEDIATE READ AND UNDERSTAND
COMPLEX DOCUMENTS;
PROBLEM SOLVE
52%
PROFICIENT READ AND SYNTHESIZE
INFORMATION;
MULTI-STEP PROBLEMS
SOURCE: NAAL (2003);
PUBLICHEALTH.GWU.EDU
12%

11. U. S. HEALTH CARE COSTS FROM
HEALTH LITERACY
• $7,500.00 PER PERSON/YEAR
• COSTS THE ECONOMY = $106 - $238 BILLION
YEARLY
• WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE = HEALTH
CARE COSTS RISE TO $1.6 - $3.6 TRILLION
• SOURCES: NNLM; PUBLICHEALTH.GWU.EDU; IOM (2004 & 2O15)

12. HEALTH LITERACY INFLUENCES
• TREATMENT KNOWLEDGE AND CHOICES;
• LOWER ADHERANCE TO TREATMENTS;
• ONGOING POOR HEALTH STATUS;
• HIGHER MORTALITY RATES;
• INCREASE MEDICATION ERRORS;
• USE OF MEDICATION;
• UNDERSTANDING HEALTH INSURANCE
• SOURCES: AHRQ; HEALTHLEADERMEDIA.COM

13. • OVER 65 YEARS OLD;
• WITHOUT HIGH SCHOOL/GED EDUCATION;
• LOW INCOME;
• NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS;
• THOSE WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTH
CARE;
• LEARNING DISABILITIES
• SOURCES: NNLM, IOM

14. – STEP 1
• ACKNOWLEDGE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE;
• APPLY QUALITY MEASURES FROM ACA;
• INCREASE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES;
• CHANGES WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE SETTING:
IMPROVE SIGNAGE;
IMPROVE FORMS;
FOLLOW-UP AT DISCHARGE PLANNING;
FOLLOW-UP AFTER HEALTH CONTACT
• SOURCES: IOM; PUBLICHEALTH.GWU.EDU

15. • HEALTH LITERACY RESOURCES
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS FROM HEALTHY PEOPLE
2020;
“HEALTH LITERACY UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS TOOL
KIT”
INCLUDE TEACH BACK/TALK BACK;
• HEALTH LITERACY POLICY
INCLUDE IN HEALTH DISPARITIES;
INCLUDE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES;
• SOURCES: AHRQ; IOM; ACA; ADULT LEARNING THEORY

16. • “HEALTH LITERACY IS AN UNDER-RECOGNIZED,
SILENT EPIDEMIC TO AN ISSUE OF HEALTH POLICY
AND REFORM.”
• “HEALTH LITERACY IS NOT GLAMOROUS, BUT IT IS
AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING WE DO.”
• SOURCES: NNLM; IOM

17. E E. KELLY, 2016

18. • TO EACH OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED IN
TODAY’S WEBINAR
• E. E. KELLY, 2016

19. REFERENCES
ORGANIZATIONS
• Retrieved from http://www.Agencyforhealthresearchqulaity.gov (AHRQ)
• Retrieved from http://www.Centerfordiseasecontrol.gov (CDC)
• Retrieved from http://www.Healthypeople.gov (2020)
• Retrieved from http://www.Health.gov
• Retrieved from http://www.Aetna.org
• Retrieved from http://www.Commonwealthfund.org (2014)
• Retrieved from http://www.Susangkomen.org
• Retrieved from http://www.Cancer.org (American Cancer Society)
• Retrieved from http://www.OEDC.org
• Retrieved from http://www.Instituteofmedicine.org
• Retrieved from http://www.nationaladultassessmentleague (2003) (NAAL)
• Retrieved from http://www.healthleadermedia.com
• Retrieved from http://www.Publichealth.gwu.edu
E. Kelly, 2016

20. REFERENCES
LEGISLATION
• Retrieved from http://www.Healthcare.com (ACA)
Quality of Care and Delivery Systems, Section 2701, Title !! – Role of Public Programs
AUTHORS
• Baker, D. (2007) Health Literacy and Mortality Among Elderly Persons. JGIM, 19,(3): 215-220.
• Friedman, N. (2015) What we’re not ‘Feeling’ Health Literacy. Huffington Post (07/10/15)
• Mantell, M (2014) Health Literacy-Huh. Huffington Post (06/02/14)
E. Kelly, 2016