With the development of the Internet as a source of health information, health literacy may also include the ability to search the Internet and evaluate web sites. The inability to understand informed consent documents is especially troubling because of the implied legal and ethical implications. The relationship between literacy and health is complex. Literacy impacts health knowledge, health status, and access to health services. Health status is influenced by several related socioeconomic factors.
Literacy impacts income level, occupation, education, housing and access to medical care.
The poor and illiterate are more likely to work under hazardous conditions or be exposed to environmental toxins. There are both direct and indirect consequences of low health literacy. The direct effects include non-compliance or medication errors. The indirect effects are harder to measure, but may include insurance issues, accessibility to health care, and poor health behavior choices. In addition to the effects of low health literacy on the individual patient, there are severe economic consequences of low health literacy to society.