This compact resource presents current data on health literacy as it
affects child health outcomes, with a sharp focus on improving
communication between healthcare providers and pediatric patients and
their families. A frequently overlooked social determinant of health in
children, health literacy is shown as a critical skill for patients and
families and a key aspect of patient engagement. The authors'
evidence-based survey pinpoints common problems in healthcare providers'
verbal and written communication with pediatric patients, their parents,
and/or caregivers. Readers will learn about practical health literacy
strategies for addressing and preventing miscommunication at the
individual and systems levels. These improvements are linked to
immediate results (e.g., greater compliance, fewer medication errors) as
well as improved long-term child health outcomes, including reduced
health disparities and enhanced quality of life into adulthood.
This transformative guide:
- Defines optimum health communication as necessary for working with all
patients
- Identifies common barriers to clear health communication
- Traces the relationship between health literacy and child health
outcomes, from the prenatal period and into young adulthood
- Offers guidelines for creating effective patient education materials
and a safe, health literacy oriented patient-centered environment
- Integrates health literacy into health systems' quality improvement
plans
Health Literacy and Child Health Outcomes informs students in MPH
programs as well as public health scientists and scholars, and can also
serve as an introductory text for students in public health ethics or a
general applied ethics course. Public health professionals in diverse
contexts such as local health departments and nonprofit organizations
will appreciate its robust approach to ethical practice, professional
development, and systems improvement. This will be a helpful guide for
introducing health communication topics in medical education and allied
health. Lastly, clinicians taking care of pediatric patients will find
concise information and practical advice to apply in the clinical
setting.
