Health Literacy Studies

Health Literacy Studies is located in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and is part of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, with Dr. Rima Rudd as Principal Investigator.

We are engaged in a variety of research efforts focused on communication and literacy skills. We are interested in exploring the pathways from education to health outcomes. We examine literacy-related barriers to a variety of health services and care and work with researchers in adult education to identify skills needed to access programs and services, manage chronic diseases, and participate in disease prevention activities. Our work is based in community, public health, health care, and adult education settings. Our goal is to help reduce health disparities.

This site is designed for professionals in health and education who are interested in health literacy. It contains materials you may find useful for your work.

A health literacy overview is offered as Microsoft PowerPoint slide presentation. This presentation was created by Rima Rudd and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health. You will find slides on definitions [functional literacy, health literacy], statistics [adult literacy levels in the U.S. and compared to other industrialized countries], research, implications and new opportunities for further study.

We hope this introductory slide presentation will serve as background information for further explorations of health literacy issues relevant to your work.

Click here to view the 2002 Health Literacy Overview presentation.
by Rima E. Rudd

Citation: Rudd RE. Literacy and implications for navigating health care. Harvard School of Public Health: Health Literacy Website. 2002. Available at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/ slides/2002/2002_01.html. Accessed "insert date."

Requires

About the Video/DVD
In Plain Language was produced by Dr. Rima Rudd and Dr. William DeJong, with a team of Health Literacy Studies professionals and researchers. This 15-minute video/DVD was developed for medical and public health professionals who are interested in learning about adult literacy in the US and implications for medicine and for public health.

The video/DVD includes testimonials from adult learners about meeting literacy demands in health care settings. In Plain Language can be used as a starting point for courses, workshops or conferences addressing health communication issues. Suggested follow-up activities include activities related to writing and speaking in plain language.

Production of the video/DVD was supported by the Pfizer Corporation through an unrestricted educational award and through the Educational Research and Development Centers Program (Award Number R309B60002), as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement/National Institute of Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning, U.S. Department of Education.