This page contains resources for program planners, providers, organizations, communities, and policymakers to incorporate health literacy practices in their work.
Act
This section includes resources to help you put health literacy concepts and techniques into action. The Voter's Guide, for example, not only shows how to use clear communication methods to simplify complicated health policy issues but also helps people and communities build their critical health literacy skills by becoming informed voters and advocates.
Healthy People 2030 defines organizational health literacy as "the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others." Check out the resources below for organizational health literacy best practices.
- Building Health Literate Organizations: A Guidebook to Achieving Organizational Change - This guidebook is based on the 10 Attributes of a Health Literate Health Care Organization and helps healthcare organizations engage in organizational change to become health literate. (Source: Abrams, Kurtz-Rossi, Riffenburgh, and Savage 2014)
- Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (2nd ed.) - Primary care practices can use this toolkit to help reduce the complexity of health care, increase patient understanding of health information, and enhance support for patients of all health literacy levels. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2015)
- HLE2 The Health Literacy Environment of Hospitals and Health Centers - This assessment tool guides users through exploring an organization's policies, practices, and culture and language, as well as its navigation and communication resources. (Source: Rudd RE, Oelschlegel S, Grabeel KL, Tester E, & Heidel E. The HLE2 Assessment Tool, 2019.)
Toolkit
The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) has released an evidence based toolkit on Rural Health Literacy. This toolkit highlights different models and programs to address health literacy in rural communities. Communities may implement health literacy models focused on personal or organizational improvement, or adapt a model to meet the specific needs of rural
residents. The toolkit was developed in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. RHIhub interviewed Horowitz Center Director Dr. Cynthia Baur and the Center is featured in the guide.
Read More on Rural Health
“A New Era of Health Literacy? Expanded Definitions, Digital Influences, and Rural Inequities”
Feb 2, 2022 – Published in The Rural Monitor
In an article published in The Rural Monitor, Dr. Baur commented on digital health information and potential barriers to patient access. Dr. Baur noted that public health and healthcare organization leaders are the changemakers for improving health literacy. The article explored both personal and organizational health literacy, as well as the role of digital health literacy in rural health inequities.
- Always Use Teach-Back! - This toolkit helps healthcare providers learn to use teach-back to support patients and families throughout the care continuum. (Source: UnityPoint Health n.d.)
- Health literacy trainings - Build your health literacy foundation with these free online courses. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
For more training for clinicians, check out AHRQ's Health Literacy Professional Education and Training page.
The Horowitz Center created an evergreen, non-partisan Voter's Guide in English and Spanish to help voters make decisions in upcoming elections.
- Download Voting with Health in Mind
- Descargar Votando con La Salud en Mente
Legislate
Health literacy-specific laws, policies, and regulations are not very common at the federal level, but health literacy issues appear in many types of laws and regulations, such as those about insurance, medicines, and health information readability. Laws, policies, and regulations about plain language, for example, or patient-centeredness or "patient friendly" care can be openings to advance health literacy practices. This section provides examples of health literacy-related laws, policies, and regulations that can inspire future action.
LegiScan is a legislation tracking device. You can search for health literacy-related legislation here.
Maryland Health Literacy-Related Laws
Maryland, where the Horowitz Center is located, has enacted several health literacy-related laws in recent years. Learn more about these laws in the accordion below.
2022 Medical Assistance Program Dental Coverage for Adults
General Assembly Page Full Text
This law expands Medicaid dental benefits to adults. While not explicitly focused on health literacy, it necessitates clear communication to beneficiaries about what the new benefits are and how they can be accessed. (Passed)
2019 Patient Bill of Rights
General Assembly Page Full text
This law establishes a Bill of Rights for hospital patients and requires hospital administrators to provide every patient with a written copy in plain language as well as provide translation, interpretation, or accommodation for patients who need the Bill in another language or format. (Passed)
2018 Maryland Community Health Worker Act
General Assembly Page Full Text
This law establishes a State Community Health Worker Advisory Committee, and requires regulations be adopted for the certification of CHWs and the accreditation of CHW certification training programs. (Passed)
2018 Bill to Establish Task Force on Oral Health in Maryland
General Assembly Page Full text
The task force would identify barriers to receiving dental services including the impact of low oral health literacy. (Did not advance)
2015 Health Care Disparities, Cultural and Linguistic Competency, and Health Literacy Recommended Courses
General Assembly Page Full text
This law requires the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to provide a list of recommended continuing education courses to the boards certifying health professionals in the state. (Passed)
2012 Cultural Competency and Health Literacy Act
General Assembly Page Full text
This act requires the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to develop courses with cultural competency, sensitivity, and health literacy, that are designed to address the problem of racial and ethnic disparities in health care access, utilization, treatment decisions, quality, and outcomes. (Passed)
2002 Equal Access to Public Services - Individuals with Limited English Proficiency
General Assembly Page Full Text
This law requires State departments, agencies, and programs to translate vital documents into any language spoken by any Limited English Proficiency population that makes up 3% or more of the overall population within the geographic service area. (Passed)