Words and Well-being: How Literacy Affects Patient Health

Literacy affects the quality of health care in myriad ways. For people with poor health literacy skills, the most basic health-related tasks that are often taken for granted, such as reading a prescription, filling out a consent form, or following a hospital map, may be difficult. Furthermore, these people may not make use of services for which they qualify. Nurses, especially nurse practitioners, need to be at the forefront of this movement toward building a health care environment that optimizes the experience for patients.