Health Literacy As Public Health Priority
The Surgeon General has identified health literacy as the "currency for staying healthy." He further noted, "The ability to access, understand and use health-related information and services is critical to the success of three national priorities: improving emergency preparedness, eliminating health disparities and preventing disease (Carmona 2003)." The American Medical Association has called health literacy a hidden health problem of the healthcare system. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has identified health literacy as a national health priority (Institutes of Medicine, 2003). Healthy People 2010, a nationwide health promotion and disease prevention initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services, has identified closing the gap in health literacy as fundamental to fairness and equity and is essential to reducing health disparities (Healthy People 2010, 2000). The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stressed that "the health of our country depends on our understanding of basic health information in order to lead a healthy life (HHS Weekly Rep, 2003)."