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We don't do so well here in North Carolina in terms of health literacy, a fact that might well explain our incidence of heart attacks, stroke and infant mortality. At least, that's what a task force has found:

Task Force releases recommendations to address low health literacy among North Carolinians

Roughly half of N.C. adults have trouble understanding basic health information.

A statewide Task Force examining the problem of low health literacy released 14 recommendations today outlining how North Carolina can ensure that people can understand the health information they receive.

Health information can be very technical and hard to understand. Most people have had trouble understanding their doctor's instructions at one time or another. Health literacy is the ability to understand and act upon basic health information.

Literacy is an essential part of health literacy and has been studied more comprehensively in relation to health. The American Medical Association has concluded poor literacy -- not income, age, or race -- is the best predictor of someone's overall health. Estimates project over 50% of adults in North Carolina suffer from low literacy. People with low literacy may have
trouble taking prescription drugs properly, understanding their diagnoses, or choosing the best insurance plan for their specific needs.

The negative effects of low literacy extend to others as well. Children with asthma who
have parents with low literacy are much more likely to miss school than similar children with parents who have adequate literacy skills.

The Task Force released 14 recommendations aimed at improving communication
between patients and their health care teams. The recommendations cover
multiple aspects of the health care system, including:

• training for doctors and other providers on the best way to communicate
  with patients.
  
• modifying the design of prescription drug labels to increase understandability
  
• ensuring that health information is written at appropriate level for
  target audience
  
• developing new and innovative ways to increase understanding of complex
  health information, and
  
• encouraging patients to ask questions and more actively participate in their own health care.

"The health care system is transitioning to a more patient-centered approach, aimed at involving patients more directly in their own care. Helping doctors and other health care providers learn to communicate more effectively is a critical step in that transition," said Tom Bacon,
Co-Chair of the Task Force and Director of the N.C. Area Health Education Centers Program.

If people do not understand the health information they receive, they will have problems managing their care. "Given the complexity of health information, we should not be surprised that so many people have difficulty following their provider's instructions," said Pam Silberman, President and CEO of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. "We need to do a better
job in communicating health information to patients, to make sure they understand what they need to do to monitor and manage their health problems."

The N.C. Institute of Medicine convened a Task Force of 49 experts and stakeholders from across the state to consider how best to address the problem of low health literacy. The work was funded by the N.C. Division of Public Health, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Branch, through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the N.C. Division of
Medical Assistance. The Task Force was co-chaired by Allen Dobson, Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Medical Assistance, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Task Force's report, entitled Just What Did the Doctor Order?:
Addressing Low Health Literacy in North Carolina, and issue brief are
available at the NC IOM's website at http://www.nciom.org.

So, have you ever had trouble understanding your physician's directions or explanations? And if so, what did you do about it?