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Video Description

Type: KIHASA RESEARCH ON

Topic: Understanding Health Literacy - KIHASA RESEARCH ON

Based on the Research Monograph: Policy Directions and Initiatives for Person- and Consumer-centered Healthcare (Bae Jaeyong)
https://repository.kihasa.re.kr/handle/201002/47182

Transcript:

Have you ever heard of “health literacy”?

Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to obtain, understand, appraise, and apply the information necessary to make informed decisions regarding their medical treatment and health management. In other words, it is the capacity to understand health information, assess it within the context of one’s own circumstances, and utilize it for one’s care and well-being.

As such, health literacy is the starting point of user-centered health care. The key lies in shifting the focus of health care provision away from doctors and the government toward patients and the public, enabling them to actively participate in their own health care.

But what does it look like in practice? While managing one’s own health is often emphasized, health information is so complex and technical that the general public finds it difficult to understand and make informed judgments.

If this constraint remains unaddressed, efforts to strengthen patient participation are likely to be limited in effect. So what policy efforts are needed to improve health literacy among the public?