Illiteracy: The Silent Barrier to Health Care
Authors: Paul T. Kefalides
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Currents16 February 1999Illiteracy: The Silent Barrier to Health CarePaul T. Kefalides, MDPaul T. Kefalides, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-130-4-199902161-00001 SectionsAboutFull Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Workers in the field of health communication are sounding a warning on patients' reading skills. Emerging literature on illiteracy and health care indicates that up to 50% of certain clinical populations may be unable to read and understand medical instructions. As health care moves from the hospital to the home, researchers and clinicians are becoming increasingly aware of the challenges presented by the large number of illiterate patients. Mistakes resulting from poor reading skills can lead to repeated hospitalizations and may be costing the health care industry billions of dollars. In response, a group of public health researchers propose that ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Paul T. Kefalides, MDCorresponding Author: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byEnsuring equity in access to online courses: Perspectives from the WHO health emergency learning responseFacilitators and barriers to substance-free pregnancies in high-income countries: A meta-synthesis of qualitative researchThe association between health literacy and psychosomatic symptoms of adolescents in China: a cross-sectional studySmoking prevalence and trends among a U.S. national sample of women of reproductive age in rural versus urban settingsA growing geographic disparity: Rural and urban cigarette smoking trends in the United StatesShared Decision Making in Senior Medical StudentsConsumer health informationHealth LiteracyMultiple domains of health literacy as reflected in breastfeeding promotion practice: A Canadian case studyShared meanings or missed opportunities? The implications of functional health literacy for social marketing interventionsLimited Literacy and Psychiatric Disorders Among Users of an Urban Safety-Net Hospital's Mental Health Outpatient ClinicHealth Communications in Rural America: Lessons Learned from an Arthritis Campaign in Rural ArkansasFotonovelasImpact of health literacy on depressive symptoms and mental health-related quality of life among adults with addictionThe roles of low literacy and social support in predicting the preventability of hospital admissionThe Roles of Low Literacy and Social Support in Predicting the Preventability of Hospital AdmissionRandomized trial of a low-intensity dietary intervention in rural residentsAn Exploratory Study of the Health Problems, Stigmatization, Life Satisfaction, and Literacy Skills of Urban, Street-Level Sex WorkersShared decision making about screening and chemopreventionConsumers of Health Information and Health Care: Challenging Assumptions and Defining AlternativesDirecting student response to early patient contact by questionnaireDiabetes control improved when inner-city patients received graphic feedback about glycosylated hemoglobin levelsLiteracy for Health: An Interdisciplinary ModelImplementing a Web-based Information Resource at an Inner-city Community ChurchAfrican American Smokers Interested and Eligible for a Smoking Cessation Clinical Trial:Health Literacy: A ReviewResearch Priorities in the Evolving Demographic Landscape of Alzheimer Disease and Associated DementiasImproved Influenza Vaccination Rates in a Rural Population as a Result of a Pharmacist-Managed Immunization CampaignCardiac instrument development in a low-literacy population: The revised Chest Discomfort DiaryUsing pictographs to enhance recall of spoken medical instructions IIEvaluation of Controlled Vocabulary Resources for Development of a Consumer Entry Vocabulary for DiabetesPart II. Challenges in educating patientsHealth Literacy 16 February 1999Volume 130, Issue 4_Part_1 Page: 333-336 Keywords Communication in health care Health care Health economics Hospitalizations Literacy Outpatient clinics Patients Population statistics Prevention, policy, and public health Research funding ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 16 February 1999 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.Loading ...