Literacy/Numeracy Issues in Healthcare Settings

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Literacy/Numeracy Issues in Healthcare Settings

Health literacy and numeracy are critical to positive health outcomes. For example, literacy and numeracy deficiencies can impede understanding medication instructions, appointment scheduling, dietary requirements, or the importance of exercise. According to Broder et al. (2020), this can lead to mismanagement of conditions, missed appointments, incorrect dosage of medication, and poorer overall health outcomes. For example, diabetes management requires patients to understand diet, exercise, medication doses, and how to monitor blood glucose levels. Poor numeracy can prevent a patient from accurately measuring insulin doses, understanding blood sugar readings, or following a recommended diet plan. Additionally, research by Osborn et al. (2021) indicates that health literacy and numeracy significantly influence the ability of diabetes patients to manage their disease effectively. Lower health literacy was associated with poorer...