Health literacy is #1. People with low health literacy have a higher risk of death, more emergency room visits, more hospitalizations, more diabetes-related problems, a higher incidence of cancer and are more likely to take medicines incorrectly. According to the American Medical Association, “poor health literacy is a stronger predictor of a person’s health than age, income, employment status, education level and race.”
Low health literacy not only adversely affects an individual’s health and quality of life, but it is expensive. Low health literacy in the United States is estimated to cost the economy between $106 billion and $238 billion each year. These expenses are borne by hospitals, clinics, individuals, government and others. More.
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