Assessing Functional Health Literacy Among Hispanic Elders With Chronic Disease

Patients' ability to access health care, obtain medications, and comprehend discharge instructions can be affected by their functional health literacy. Functional health literacy can be diminished by a lack of education, cultural factors, and inability to comprehend the language. Hispanic Americans age 65 and older are a vulnerable population at risk for diminished health literacy. Improvement can lead to better control of chronic disease. This article outlines 4 evidence-based, standardized approaches to assessing functional health literacy among elderly Hispanic American patients. A culturally competent, tailored approach to reduce Hispanic health disparities will also be discussed.