Healthcare shouldn’t be so hard; health literacy can help

Christie MacMurray

Submitted photo/Mercy Care

Health literacy … means understanding test results, managing medications, scheduling appointments, navigating referrals and knowing when and where to seek care. Even highly educated individuals can struggle when faced with … an overwhelming healthcare system.”

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OPINION — A visit to the doctor may get you a diagnosis. A trip to the pharmacist fills the needed prescription. Your health plan has all sorts of information about benefits.

Healthcare. Straightforward and easy to understand, right? 

Eye roll. Laugh stifled. Not so fast. 

Healthcare can be among the hardest things to understand, let alone navigate, in one’s life. 

All too often, the person receiving that information cannot understand it, access it or determine what to do next. 

October is Health Literacy Month, an opportunity to examine an often-overlooked barrier to better health: the ability to find, understand and use information to make informed medical decisions, as well as how to advocate for yourself or your family members. 

Health literacy is not about listening to an expert or reading directions. It means understanding test results, managing medications, scheduling appointments, navigating referrals and knowing when and where to seek care. Even highly educated individuals can struggle when faced with an unfamiliar diagnosis, complicated terminology or an overwhelming healthcare system. 

The consequences can be significant. Misunderstood medication instructions, missed appointments and delayed treatment can turn manageable health concerns into serious medical problems. 

Older adults face particular challenges. According to federal health-literacy research, more than 70% of adults older than 60 have difficulty understanding printed health materials. Add vision or hearing loss, multiple medications, chronic conditions and unfamiliar technology and even routine medical care can become difficult to manage. 

Fortunately, organizations throughout Arizona are finding ways to address these challenges by meeting people where they are. 

For individuals struggling to navigate healthcare coverage and services, education and personalized assistance can be equally important. Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health is developing a Community Health Worker Resource & Navigation Hub to help individuals with Medicaid coverage understand available services, complete recommended care and connect with resources that address barriers to their health. 

Hospice of the Valley is also expanding dementia education and caregiver support, while the Alzheimer’s Association helps families navigate communication challenges, behavioral changes and the emotional demands of caregiving. 

Health literacy extends beyond the examination room into the circumstances that influence a person’s ability to stay healthy. At The Haven, Arizona’s first dedicated emergency shelter for older adults experiencing homelessness, Central Arizona Shelter Services is addressing nutrition and supportive care for individuals facing multiple barriers to health. 

Children and families experiencing homelessness face another set of challenges. 

Through its Homeless Youth Outreach Program, Phoenix Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive healthcare and navigation services to young people across Maricopa County who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, abuse and other circumstances that can make accessing medical and behavioral health services particularly difficult. 

Meanwhile, the State of Black Arizona is addressing maternal and infant health disparities through community education, outreach and its South Phoenix Healthy Start Doula Mentor Program. 

And finally, the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides a dedicated medical navigator for adults who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind. Rather than expecting people to independently decipher forms, referrals and appointment instructions that may not be accessible, the navigator helps them connect with medical, behavioral health and social services. 

Improving health literacy is also up to the experts. Medical professionals must communicate clearly, organizations must make information accessible and communities must recognize that different populations need different forms of support. Healthcare is complicated enough without making understanding it another obstacle. This October, the goal should be simple: Ensure that information meant to improve someone’s health can actually be understood and put to use. 

Christie MacMurray is director of the adult system of care at Phoenix-based nonprofit healthcare provider Mercy Care. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to azopinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.