Calling the nation to act: Implementing the national action plan to improve health literacy

Abstract

The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy is a framework that all clinical and public health professionals, including nurses, can use to identify and address health literacy barriers that negatively affect patient care and individual and community health outcomes. Of all the clinical disciplines, nursing has a unique relationship to health literacy because nurses are responsible for the majority of patient, caregiver and community health education, and communication. The information in the Action Plan is applicable to many fields and disciplines, such as healthcare, public health, communication, and education. Leading educators, researchers, practitioners, and administrators in each relevant discipline have a responsibility to be informed about health literacy issues and identify the most promising practices to improve health literacy in their domains. The Action Plan includes goals and strategies that nursing leaders can adapt and use to develop organization-specific action plans for health literacy improvement. The Action Plan is a call to action for all clinical professionals, especially nurses, to choose, implement, and evaluate one or more health literacy strategies so that patients will be more informed and prepared to protect, promote, and manage their health.