Roles for Physical Therapists to Address Health Literacy as a Social Determinant of Cardiovascular Disease: A Clinical Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Health literacy (HL) has been defined as “the capacity of individuals to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” Despite its importance, 90 million individuals in the United States have less than adequate levels of HL. This is concerning, especially for patients with chronic conditions requiring daily disease management, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). With 70 million Americans suffering from CVD, there is a high likelihood of HL and CVD overlapping, which can greatly impact physical therapy management and ultimately patient outcomes. Health literacy should be viewed as a specific form of education—a social determinant of health—that has important implications for wellbeing. To achieve the American Physical Therapy Association's vision of “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience,” physical therapists must improve their understanding of HL to maximize their interventions. The purpose of this perspective is to discuss HL and its intersectional relationship with the Social Determinants of Health in patients with CVD. This perspective will then culminate in recommendations for physical therapists to reduce health inequities related to limited HL.