Dr. Genelle Lamont

really is i'm sensing maybe incorrectly that health literacy is perhaps different for all of us but taken away to know what it what is health literacy well first of all i just wanted to thank you um for inviting me to come to this podcast um we have known each other for several years now and i really appreciate this podcast and the work that you're doing so thank you thank you so to

really is i'm sensing maybe incorrectly that health literacy is perhaps different for all of us but taken away to know what it what is health literacy well first of all i just wanted to thank you um for inviting me to come to this podcast um we have known each other for several years now and i really appreciate this podcast and the work that you're doing so thank you thank you so to

Simply to find health literacy, it's one's ability to find or obtain health information, be able to use and comprehend it, and to be able to then apply that to your own health or for your family or your community's health. But one of the things that people frequently forget too is it's not just your own personal health literacy, but it's also the health literacy of providers and organizations.

Simply to find health literacy, it's one's ability to find or obtain health information, be able to use and comprehend it, and to be able to then apply that to your own health or for your family or your community's health. But one of the things that people frequently forget too is it's not just your own personal health literacy, but it's also the health literacy of providers and organizations.

So on the provider level, it's how well can that individual clearly communicate to their patients so that they understand their health information when they walk out that door.

So on the provider level, it's how well can that individual clearly communicate to their patients so that they understand their health information when they walk out that door.

And at an organizational level, it's how that organization incorporates health literacy best practices so that they're training their providers, that their providers are consistently communicating in plain language in a way that people can understand. And it's just fostering that environment of health literacy and patient education.

And at an organizational level, it's how that organization incorporates health literacy best practices so that they're training their providers, that their providers are consistently communicating in plain language in a way that people can understand. And it's just fostering that environment of health literacy and patient education.

Yeah, so actually health literacy is not a new concept. I think maybe it's something that people are becoming more aware of, but it actually dates back to the late 80s, early 1990s. And it all started with the work of C.C. and Leonard Doak, who actually were health... educators, educators in K through 12 education, as well as part of the US Public Health Corps.

Yeah, so actually health literacy is not a new concept. I think maybe it's something that people are becoming more aware of, but it actually dates back to the late 80s, early 1990s. And it all started with the work of C.C. and Leonard Doak, who actually were health... educators, educators in K through 12 education, as well as part of the US Public Health Corps.

So it dates back to our public health roots. And so they had done a bunch of research, which I believe is now archived in the National Libraries of Medicine, where they kind of looked up these different concepts of looking at concepts of literacy. So we have in literacy, we have what are called prose document and quantitative literacy.

So it dates back to our public health roots. And so they had done a bunch of research, which I believe is now archived in the National Libraries of Medicine, where they kind of looked up these different concepts of looking at concepts of literacy. So we have in literacy, we have what are called prose document and quantitative literacy.

So basically we probably all understand literacy as our ability to read and comprehend information, but it's much more than that. So prose literacy is basically our ability to read and understand continuous texts. So something that might be in, for example, some type of medical instructions. And then document literacy is particularly around reading and comprehending forms.

So basically we probably all understand literacy as our ability to read and comprehend information, but it's much more than that. So prose literacy is basically our ability to read and understand continuous texts. So something that might be in, for example, some type of medical instructions. And then document literacy is particularly around reading and comprehending forms.

So if you think of those big, large medical history forms, for example, or even something like a prescription drug label. And then quantitative literacy is just that looking and understanding, reading and understanding numbers. So are you able to calculate a serving size for your favorite breakfast cereal? Or are you able to

So if you think of those big, large medical history forms, for example, or even something like a prescription drug label. And then quantitative literacy is just that looking and understanding, reading and understanding numbers. So are you able to calculate a serving size for your favorite breakfast cereal? Or are you able to

properly dose yourself with your medication or over-the-counter medication, right? And so literacy, health literacy is part of that literacy, just in the context of the healthcare field, which I just described some examples of that. So it's something that I believe people struggle with all the time, according to the 2003 National Adult Assessment of Literacy, which looked at literacy, but also

properly dose yourself with your medication or over-the-counter medication, right? And so literacy, health literacy is part of that literacy, just in the context of the healthcare field, which I just described some examples of that. So it's something that I believe people struggle with all the time, according to the 2003 National Adult Assessment of Literacy, which looked at literacy, but also

different domains of health literacy. So looking at, again, literacy, quantitative, which we're calling numeracy, and then looking at digital problem solving skills. And what they found with that study is really only one in 10 Americans have proficient levels of health literacy to be able to properly attend to their own health care, the health care of their family members.

different domains of health literacy. So looking at, again, literacy, quantitative, which we're calling numeracy, and then looking at digital problem solving skills. And what they found with that study is really only one in 10 Americans have proficient levels of health literacy to be able to properly attend to their own health care, the health care of their family members.