What Is Health Literacy and Why Does It Matter?

Health literacy is the ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information and services to make informed decisions about health. It is not simply a matter of reading ability — it encompasses the full range of skills needed to navigate healthcare: understanding prescription labels, interpreting test results, communicating symptoms to providers, weighing treatment options, and acting on public health guidance. Low health literacy is remarkably prevalent, profoundly consequential, and among the most underappreciated social determinants of health.

The Scale Of Low Health Literacy

The most recent National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) found that only 12% of American adults have proficient health literacy. Approximately 36% have basic health literacy; 53% have below-basic or basic health literacy — meaning they struggle with most health-related reading and numerical tasks.

This means that more than half of American adults have difficulty:

• Reading and understanding prescription labels
• Interpreting medication instructions (e.g., "Take on an empty stomach" or "Do not take with dairy")
• Understanding discharge instructions from the hospital
• Completing intake forms accurately
• Reading an Explanation of Benefits from their insurance company
• Understanding what it means for a test result to be "within the normal range"
• Making informed decisions about treatment options