skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

What's Your Health-Care IQ? Forum to Tackle Health Literacy Crisis

play audio
Play

Monday, December 4, 2017   

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- When it comes to living a healthy life, access to health care is critical, but understanding how to use it is every bit as important - which is why advocates are working to improve health literacy statewide.

Michelle Ganote, events and communication coordinator at the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative, said when it comes to prescription information, discharge instructions and appointment scheduling, even the most well-informed consumers still struggle to navigate the complexities of our current health care system.

“Ninety million Americans have problems understanding basic health care information, yet we're expecting them to engage in an increasingly complex health care system,” Ganote said. "And we also know that poor health is associated with limited health literacy."

The Collaborative is holding a community health forum on Tuesday in Louisville in conjunction with Health Literacy of Kentucky to talk about ways to improve health literacy and, as a result, overall health in Kentucky. More information is available at KHCollaborative.org.

Ganote said while the problem is widespread, the people with the lowest levels of health literacy tend to be the most vulnerable populations:

"Older adults, minorities, people that have less than a high school education or low income levels and people that have compromised health status,” she said. "And so we have to think about health equity because these factors really put people at risk for poorer health outcomes."

She added that the problem is also a costly one for both patients and providers. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that increasing health literacy could save more than $100 billion per year.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021