Many minds, one voice: National health literacy goals from regional town hall meetings

As technology and treatment options improve and increase, adding to an already complicated health care system, limited health literacy has the potential to undermine the wellness efforts of every American. With only 12% of the Americans equipped with proficient health literacy skills, the remaining 88% of Americans with limited health literacy struggle to understand and act upon health and wellness information. On September 7, 2006, Acting Surgeon General Moritsugu held a Surgeon General's Workshop on Improving Health Literacy. The goal of the workshop was to present the state of the science in the field of health literacy. This workshop called for continued research efforts and an effort to disseminate existing best practices.

In 2007 and 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in collaboration with state and local agencies held four regional meetings in New York City, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Tampa. These meetings offered local stakeholders, providers and consumers an opportunity to explore best practices, share lessons learned and contribute to a national agenda for the improvement of health literacy. Participants were asked to participate in a 'histories of the future' exercise where they envisioned the characteristics of a health literacy society.

This poster will present six national health literacy goals developed as a result from the proceedings of these four regional town halls. These goals have informed and served as the impetus for a National Action Plan for Improving Health Literacy.