More than 90 million American adults have difficulty understanding and using health information. Low health literacy costs are estimated to be around $73 billion in the United States. Combined with higher hospitalization rates and emergency services use among patients with limited health literacy, the need for better communication and increased understanding is clear.
In answer to this need, a Health Literacy Toolkit was developed. The combined effort was a result of support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc and input from the AAFP Foundation. The kit provides a wealth of valuable resources and tools for family physicians and their patients.
The field-tested toolkit helps family physicians communicate more effectively with their patients who are at risk for low health literacy. The resources help patients better understand their medications, take more responsibility for their health care, and use medications as prescribed.
WHY DONATE TO THE AAFP FOUNDATION?
Supporting your Foundation means you believe in the power of family medicine and in the importance of helping others.
“The ultimate beneficiary...is the patients. Because all of this is to improve patient outcomes.”
Michael O. Fleming , MD
