Health Literacy Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is health literacy?
The ability of individuals to access and understand health information and to use this to make informed decisions.
Requires people to be able to read and process information, e.g., reading and understanding instructions for prescription medications.
What does accessing health information involve?
Obtaining or retrieving information needed and knowing where to locate valid, reliable, and credible information.
This includes considering the validity, reliability, and credibility of sources.
What is the reading component of health literacy?
The ability to read information that has been accessed.
Not all information is accessible in all languages.
Define comprehending in the context of health literacy.
Understanding the content and being able to put what is read or heard into practice.
Some individuals may struggle to understand medical terminology or may find explanations too fast.
What is functional health literacy?
Having enough health literacy to choose products and services, read and follow instructions, and understand risks.
Examples include reading consent forms, medicine labels, and healthcare information sheets.
What does interactive health literacy focus on?
Improving personal skills and strategies to act on health advice and developing independence in health management.
An example is developing a personal weight loss plan in consultation based on health information about obesity.
What is critical health literacy?
Possessing the cognition and skills to initiate social and political actions for health outcomes.
It involves understanding social, environmental, and economic determinants of health.
What is self-care?
Looking after oneself or personal health maintenance, including activities that prevent or treat diseases.
Examples include eating well, exercising, self-screening, taking medication, and meditation.
What is necessary for effective self-care?
Decision-making skills, time management, and motivation.
These factors need to be considered for self-care to be effective.
What is disease management?
An approach to healthcare teaching patients how to manage chronic diseases through interventions and a multidisciplinary approach.
It promotes self-management and collaboration with health professionals.
Define chronic disease.
A prolonged illness that usually does not go away and is rarely cured.
Common features include complex causes, a long development period, and a long illness timespan.
What are common features of chronic diseases?
Complex causes, long development period, long illness timespan.
These features contribute to the difficulty in managing chronic diseases.
