We have all visited the doctor’s consulting room sometime in the past for one reason or the other, be it for diagnosis and treatment of an illness or medical advice for ourselves, or a relation whose condition concerns us.

For those who have yet to see a doctor for any reason medical, the chances of you doing so increases as you age due to the various medical conditions that are bound to accompany aging. How well one engages his Physician or other health professional and/or discern any health-related information provided by the physician or health professional is now being explained by the evolving concept of health literacy.

Several definitions of health literacy have evolved since the turn of the 21^st century. There has been the lack of consensus on a standard definition to be accepted worldwide due to the contextual nature of the concept of health literacy. For the purpose of this article we will stick the definition by the United States National Institute of Health, which defines health literacy as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. The emphasis here is “basic”, because the definition does not intend to turn patients into their own doctors.

Health literacy skills are a special type of literacy skills and must not be confused with normal functional literacy that comprises reading, writing and understanding. It is an extension of normal functional literacy - that forms the foundation of all forms specialized literacy skills - and requires additional effort to acquire. A survey in a university campus in North America revealed that more than half of the people surveyed with university degree lacked basic health literacy skills. Experts in the field of health literacy also argue that health literacy is affected by an individual’s sociodemographic characteristics such as culture, ethnicity and religion. This is probably due to influence of such factors in interpretations of signs and symptoms of disease.

In the wake of rising cost of health care across the globe, the old saying, “ prevention is better than cure”, is not only life saving, but cost saving as well. Research has shown that individuals equipped with health literacy skills often have better health outcomes. First and foremost, these individuals are more likely to engage in healthy lifestyles such as eating healthy diet, engaging in exercises and avoiding alcohol and tobacco usage. They are also in the position to recognize symptoms of disease, drug adverse reactions or complications earlier than those who are not equipped with health literacy skills. They also engage their physicians better and are well informed of their condition. As a result they are less likely to be referred from their primary healthcare facility or find themselves warming a hospital bed.

Health literacy skills is not only an assert that benefit the individual who has it, but also to everyone who happens to be in the company of this individual at any point in time, be it at home, school, workplace, church, mosque, market and even on the road as a pedestrian or driver. In a country where emergency medical response is lacking, knowing what to do and what not to do in times of a medical emergency could be very crucial on the outcome of the emergency. Your chances of surviving from a sudden collapse may be improved if you are privileged to be in the mist of someone who is equipped with basic resuscitation skills.

Most countriesthat are pioneers in socialized medicine have constantly used health education and promotion as a meansto impart health literacy skills to its people. What they intend to achieve is this; to make individuals take control of their on health, visit primary healthcare facilities more and reduce the burden on specialized care facilities. The overall goal is to reduce the cost of running the health system. This could be huge cost saving to nations practicing socialized medicine in the wake of rising cost of healthcare in the twenty-first century.

In the information age, where people are literally encyclopedias on the go by courtesy of internet and smartphones, patients should be asking their doctors, “why do I have this problem?” and move on from, “what do you think is wrong with me?” Patients must engage their physicians to provide them with up to date information on their health condition. The physician can only give this free prescription if the patient or client is well equipped to ask the right questions.Next time you visit your doctor, equip yourself with the necessary health literacy skills to demand the free prescription of up to date information on your health condition from your doctor. Don’t just leave the doctor’s office with drugs, leave with answers.

Dr. Bernard Dampson

bernarddampson@gmail.com

New Crystal Health Services Ltd