Understanding Health Literacy: Implications For Medicine And Public Health

Bys: Claire Wang, Joanne G. Schwartzberg, Jonathan VanGeest

Surveys have shown that levels of literacy generally and of health literacy in particular affect patients' understanding of health issues and participation in health care decision making. As a result of studying health literacy levels, this resource aims to help physicians and others improve the quality of care for patients who are now at a disadvantage in communications regarding medications, tests and procedures, and informed consent. This book is a valuable resource in medicine, public health, sociology, and medical sociology.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579476309
• ISBN13: 9781579476304
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Amer Medical Assn
• Length: 253 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Good book by accomplished editors

I was required to purchase and read parts of this book for a graduate course. Overall, the book is a great resource for learning more about the impact health literacy has on public health, at the individual level and at the population level. The editors and section editors are at the forefront of research in the field and the information they present is relevant and up to date. The problem with this book is that each chapter reads more like a journal article than part of a larger book (perhaps due to the fact that the AMA published it). Each chapter begins with the same statistics and terms - how many Americans are considered literate, the definintion of health literacy is, health literacy is important because, etc. This may be a great book for teachers and professors who only want to have students read parts of the book, but if you're looking to read the whole thing through, it could be too repetitive. Overall, a good book worth reading (in whole or in part) to understand more about health literacy and the impact on health.