Health Literacy: What it is and How it Can Help You Become More Productive
Health literacy, or the ability to read and understand basic health information, isn’t just an issue of common courtesy; it’s something that can have powerful effects on your productivity at work. Research shows that up to 40% of patients have difficulty reading and understanding their health information, with this number growing to 60% among older adults.
By making sure that you’re able to read and understand your health information, you’ll be better equipped to take care of yourself, save time, and become more productive as a result.
How can health literacy help people become more productive?
What is health literacy?
Health literacy refers to the knowledge and skills a person has to be able to understand, use, or act on information about health for themselves or their family. It can also be called literacy in health because of its similarities with other areas of literacy.
Health literacy is important because people with higher levels of health literacy are more likely to make better decisions about their personal health care.
They are also more likely to manage their chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, and HIV/AIDS effectively.
These individuals have lower rates of hospitalization and fewer doctor visits than those who are less literate about health issues.
How can health literacy help you become more productive?
Health literacy can help you become more productive in a variety of ways. When you have health literacy, you are able to take care of your health needs independently, which means that you will spend less time worrying about things like going to the doctor or taking medications.
It also means that you are less likely to get sick because of your ignorance about how best to stay healthy. Health literacy also helps people become more productive by helping them be more successful at their jobs.
The benefits of being health literate
It’s not just doctors who need to be health literate. If you’re going to live a healthy life, it’s important that you are also able to read information about your health.
When you know what’s affecting your body and how to take care of yourself, you can be more productive in all areas of your life.
When people have basic skills related to their health
– the risks they face and how to prevent them
– they become empowered and engaged as partners with the medical community. They are better able to participate in decisions about their own healthcare, make treatment decisions, understand test results and connect with caregivers when they have questions or concerns.
Health literacy enables people to have greater control over their lives and access needed services;
it strengthens families by improving communication between parents and children;
it empowers those with disabilities by making them more self-reliant; and it makes people feel like valued members of society rather than isolated individuals struggling on the margins because of illness or disability.
The importance of taking action
Often times, we know what needs to happen but we don’t take any action because of the fear of failure. Failing is not a bad thing;
in fact, it’s a normal part of life. The important thing is that you’re actually taking steps to become more productive.
The first step might be to learn about health literacy and how it can help you become more productive.
how can health literacy help people become more productive
Health literacy refers to people’s ability to access, understand and act upon health information in order to make appropriate decisions about their care.
how can health literacy help people become more productive?
