National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy

or more than 30 years, I’ve observed the difficulties many people face as they attempt to use our health care system. I’ve seen firsthand the inequities in health status and access to care and the outcomes that persist. My own experiences in treating patients, running a large government agency and overseeing academic research, have given me a unique perspective about the Nation’s health care and public health systems, and more importantly the need to make health literacy a public health priority. Quite simply, the responsibility is ours as health professionals to communicate in plain language. Without clear communication, we cannot expect people to adopt the healthy behaviors and recommendations that we champion. When people receive accurate, easy-to-use information about a health issue, they are better able to take action to protect and promote their health and wellness. That is why health literacy is so critical to our efforts in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the currency for everything we do. Improving health literacy—that is, the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions—is critical to achieving the objectives set forth in Healthy People 2020 and, more broadly, key to the