Abstract
Health literacy is the ability to obtain and utilize health information in order to advocate for one’s health. It is paramount to a recent immigrant’s successful integration into the Canadian healthcare system and their maintenance of health in the long term. Despite its importance, 60% of native-born Canadians and an even higher proportion of immigrants indicate that they are not health literate. In this article, we focus on the importance of health literacy in an immigrant population and current barriers they may face in accessing health care. We discuss current shortcomings within the healthcare system in terms of improving health literacy for newcomers and explore strategies currently used in the United States and Canada. Based on our review of the literature, it is clear that promoting health literacy is a multi-dimensional challenge which requires the synthesis of many strategies, including clear written and oral communication, use of multimedia tools, cultural sensitivity, participatory teaching, community resources, and availability of diverse care providers who can relate to newcomers linguistically and culturally.
Highlights
Health literacy is the ability to obtain and utilize health information in order to advocate for one’s health
As Canada increases its admission of immigrant populations, with over 290,000 new permanent residents in 2016 and with plans to bring in over 340,000 by 2020, the importance of providing and maintaining quality health care for these disadvantaged groups is becoming more apparent.[1]
Canada has an extensive medical screening system to assess the health of newcomers prior to admission into the country. This entails screening for infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B and tuberculosis.[2]. Such a system is important for maintaining public safety for Canadians, mitigating financial burdens within the healthcare system, and allowing for early connection between newcomers and the Canadian healthcare system.[2]
Summary
Health literacy is the ability to obtain and utilize health information in order to advocate for one’s health. As Canada increases its admission of immigrant populations, with over 290,000 new permanent residents in 2016 and with plans to bring in over 340,000 by 2020, the importance of providing and maintaining quality health care for these disadvantaged groups is becoming more apparent.[1] The heterogenous cultural and educational backgrounds of immigrants can often lead to challenges in promoting health literacy.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
