UC San Diego Library

Limited health literacy is a pervasive problem in the United States that affects both the health of the individual and the economics of the health care system. Being able to easily recognize a person’s health literacy can be a challenge. Certain factors—formal education, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status—have a tendency to correlate with limited health literacy. Librarians can facilitate and improve communication in raising awareness through collaboration with clinicians. Statistics related to health literacy are provided, and red flag behaviors are noted.