Process / pipelineHealth communication and patient comprehension

Health Literacy Scale

Health literacy scales are validated self-report instruments designed to measure the capacity of individuals to access, understand, appraise, and communicate health information to maintain or improve health. The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) are commonly used variants assessing functional health literacy in clinical populations. Health literacy measurement identifies patients at risk for poor health outcomes and guides communication simplification.

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Sources

  1. Osborn, C. Y., Weiss, B. D., Davis, T. C., & Skripkauskas, S. (2007). Literacy and health outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of Health Communication, 12(4), 371-383. DOI: 10.1080/10810730701307896
  2. Baker, D. W., Williams, M. V., Parker, R. M., Gazmararian, J. A., & Nurss, J. (1999). Development of a brief test to measure functional health literacy. Patient Education and Counseling, 38(1), 33-42. DOI: 10.1016/S0738-3991(98)00116-5
  3. Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., & Crotty, K. (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(2), 97-107. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005

Related methods

ScholarGateHealth Literacy Scale (Health Literacy Scale - Functional and Interactive Dimensions). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/health-services/health-literacy-scale