This article is authored by Anne Johnson, a registered nurse and an associate professor at Flinders University. The article investigates how health literacy contributes to the general development of the nursing practice. According to the article, Australia’s healthcare industry depends heavily on health literacy. Therefore, it is in the country’s best interest to have enviable levels of health literacy. The article’s author cites statistics that indicate that only about forty-one percent of Australians have achieved the health literacy levels that are sufficient for a knowledge-based economy. Consequently, the role of increasing Australia’s health-literacy levels falls upon the country’s nurses and other healthcare practitioners. The author sets out to explore how health literacy levels in Australia affect the country’s healthcare and its quality in relation to patient care and improved service levels.
The article begins by introducing the various health literacy variables and statistics that govern the current healthcare regime. According to the author, health literacy is a product of several other forms of literacy such as information, computer, general, and traditional forms of literacy. The article continues by outlining how health literacy is of benefit to healthcare. Several statistics are used to indicate how literacy levels are directly linked to healthcare. For instance, the author notes that people with low literacy levels have “a higher rate of hospitalization, longer stays at the hospital and death” (Johnson, 2014). The article also explores some of the existing health literacy policies in Australia. The article concludes by reiterating the various variables that apply to health literacy and Australia’s healthcare practices.
Johnson’s article is quite relevant to the nursing practice and to its practitioners. For instance, the nurses are mostly tasked with educating the average citizens about basic healthcare. The author of this article takes note of the fact that the success of nursing is dependent on literacy levels. The article also correctly points out that the collaborative nature of health literacy is jointly catered for by healthcare professionals, the government, and healthcare consumers. The author introduces new insights into health-literacy by relating other forms of intelligence to this healthcare concept. For instance, the author argues that a person’s general intelligence is closely related to his/her health intelligence (Johnson, 2014).
This article is mainly intended for nursing practitioners but it is also relevant to other stakeholders in healthcare including policy makers and consumers. Nevertheless, the author neglects to outline measures that can be employed to enhance the overall health-literacy standards. For instance, the Australian government has instituted several campaigns that have been aimed at elevating the levels of health literacy in the country (Barber, Staples & Buchbinder, 2009). However, the author of this article does not explore which of these campaigns have had any significant impact on health literacy. The author’s conclusion is well informed and it enhances the overall quality of the article. According to the author, the nurses play a pivotal role in the enhancement of health literacy levels. Moreover, the author correctly points out that there is need for healthcare workers to pay attention to their healthcare literacy levels as well as those of their patients.
This article is a valuable addition to the existing nursing research. The article could be of benefit to patients, nurses, and other healthcare stakeholders. Future research on health literacy is needed to identify the specific areas of healthcare that are most affected by low health literacy levels. Overall, the article offers a simplified insight into health literacy.
References
Barber, M. N., Staples, M., & Buchbinder, R. (2009). Up to a quarter of the Australian population may have suboptimal health literacy depending upon the measurement tool: results from a population-based survey. Health promotion international, 24(3), 252-261.
Johnson, A. (2014). Health literacy, does it make a difference?. Australian Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 31(3), 39-45.