1 HEALTH LITERACY ASSESMENT
Health Literacy: Flu Vaccine Rosalinda Paula Galen College of Nursing Dr. Sommers November 9" 2022
According to the Institute of Medicine, health literacy is "the level to which people are able to access, process, and comprehend fundamental health information and services required to make wise health decisions" (Nies & McEwen. 2019). In addiction to reading, writing, speaking, listening, and interpreting health information, health literacy also entails communication and involvement regarding health education Low health literacy individuals might not be able to
comprehend the significance of adhering to prescription or discharge instructions, being aware of preventative health screenings, or the importance of nutritional and health education. A higher likelihood of negative health outcomes from illnesses and death are all associated with low health literacy, as are longer hospital stays and visits to the emergency room. The level of health literacy of a patient can have a big impact on their health outcomes. A patient who is unable to understand
their level of illness and any potential complications is at a greater risk for unfavorable outcomes, particularly if the prevention and treatment plans are not understood or if access to the health services are restricted (National Network of Libraries of Medicine, n.d). People with poor health literacy frequently don't know about diet, blood pressure, and diabetes education services and only seek medical attention in an emergency Individuals with low health literacy frequently have a lower possibility of receiving immunizations and comprehending medical labels or instructions, as well as a higher likelihood of taking prescriptions wrongly. Comprehend to those who have strong health literacy (Bennett, 2009). Inadequate socioeconomic status and low health literacy are frequently linked to vulnerable groups including older people, immigrants, and people of color. The extent to which older persons' health literacy is widespread as a result of cognitive decline. According to studies from the 203 National Assessment of adult Literacy, people 65 and over had the lowest percentage of individuals with proficient health literacy and the largest percentage of people with health literacy levels "below basic" (CDC, 2009). The ability of older people to manage their own health care services and make health-related decisions may be at risk due to a lack of health literacy. This can have a connection to living in poverty. Living below the poverty line puts people from minority and immigrant groups as well as those with low socioeconomic position, at risk of having poor health literacy. Living in poverty can result in a lack of access to healthcare and education, which raises the risk of acquiring a chronic illness or other health issues over time. The SMOG Readability formula calculates the approximate number of years of schooling required to fully comprehend a written work. An influenza vaccine information statement from the CDC served as the educational source that the SMOG reliability formula was used to evaluate. The "influenza (Flu) Vaccine (Inactivated or Recombinant): What you need to know fact sheet from the CDC is simple, nicely legible, and information is