Health literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" (Healthy People 2010). Health literacy encompasses the skills of reading, writing, mathematics, listening, and speaking, and relies on cultural and conceptual knowledge.
People with limited health literacy have less knowledge of disease management, report poorer health status, and are less likely to seek preventative services. This problem is pervasive - affecting approximately half of the people living in the United States. Poor health literacy costs the nation as much as $58 billion each year.