key: cord-0683838-dksvfr5h authors: Ibrahim, Halah; Nair, Satish Chandrasekhar title: Comment on Health Literacy: The Common Denominator of Healthcare Progress date: 2021-10-18 journal: Patient DOI: 10.1007/s40271-021-00556-6 sha: 2ea46b599ef032a4a3a7c66babf5290664bb3977 doc_id: 683838 cord_uid: dksvfr5h nan revealed that 36% of Americans had basic and below basic health literacy rates [7] . The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has focused attention on the intersection between government regulations, social policy, and health outcomes. As the authors state, the disproportionately high morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 on communities of color is multifactorial and includes disinformation campaigns that targeted Black and Latinx patients, historical mistrust in government institutions, and the systemic racism that has long existed in research and healthcare, but only recently entered the public conversation on health disparities [8] . The authors suggest that health literacy should be an integral part of pandemic preparedness. In fact, as pandemic-imposed changes to the healthcare system become permanent, such as telehealth services, health inequities may continue to increase for those unable to access or use advanced technology [8] . We agree with the authors that improving health literacy should be a national priority. Programs to improve health literacy can lead to improved patient and population health outcomes. The concept of appointing a 'health literacy czar' for the US is interesting. The fear is that with the current politicization of all government agencies and roles, it may be difficult for an individual to bring forth meaningful change. A longitudinal and multi-pronged government approach is necessary, including tackling disparities in the nation's education system. Research on health inequities has consistently shown a correlation between low health literacy, decreased educational attainment, and poor health outcomes [9] . In this regard, strategies to improve health literacy may in turn improve health outcomes in patients with lower levels of education. While government-led approaches are necessary, the healthcare community has an important role in tackling health literacy. Targeted interventions are necessary to prevent the marginalization of all patient populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, elderly patients, and those with chronic medical conditions, to ensure that they fully understand and are engaged with all healthcare decisions. In addition to ongoing efforts to recognize and address implicit and explicit bias in research and healthcare, individual healthcare professionals and hospitals can prioritize health literacy in daily interactions. First, healthcare providers and researchers should assess every patient's ability to understand and process the information that they are provided. This becomes especially difficult with virtual technology, where facial and body cues may not be as evident. As such, allocating appropriate time for patient visits and ensuring that all questions are answered becomes increasingly important. Integrating multilingual staff into the clinical teams, including case coordinators and patient representatives, can help overcome some language barriers. Hospitals can also design and implement professional development programs that focus specifically on using universal health literacy precautions during patient-provider interactions. Tips include avoiding medical terminology, explaining information in small, easily understandable pieces, and assessing comprehension. Using pictures and visual aids can also improve patient understanding [10] . As Pitts and Freeman state, there is no 'magic solution' for health literacy. It will indeed "take time, hard work, and commitment to convene the critical disciplines that can inform programs, practices, and metrics". As healthcare professionals, we can each do our part. Conflict of interest Halah Ibrahim and Satish Chandrasekhar Nair declare no conflicts of interest. Author contributions SCN concept, design, collection of materials, and review of the manuscript. HI writing and review of the manuscript. Health literacy: the common denominator of healthcare progress stati stics/ EN_ WHS20 15_ Part2. pdf? ua=1. Accessed 16 Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review Assessing health literacy in the eastern and middle-eastern cultures Health literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models Improving health literacy critical to optimize telemedicine, the future of global healthcare The Health Literacy of America's Adults More than Tuskegee: understanding mistrust about research participation Health literacy of Dutch adults: a cross sectional survey Health literacy in primary care practice