October is national Health Literacy Month. Health literacy includes the ability to read, understand, and apply medical information. This can include prescription drug information, appointment slips, brochures, doctor's instructions and consent forms, along with the ability to negotiate complex health care systems. Requiring more than just reading skills, a health literate patient must possess a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills — and the ability to apply these skills to health situations.
