Consumer Health Minute: Health Literacy Month

Posted by Carolyn Martin on October 8th, 2025 Posted in: Consumer Health, Health Literacy, Health Observances
Tags: consumer health, health literacy, National Health Observances

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Have you ever been to a doctor visit and wondered what they meant by drinking “clear liquids”?

Or maybe you or someone in your care was given a drug prescription and told to “take three times a day” which made sense at the time but later you wondered if that meant every 8 hours or every 4 hours or something else?

Most likely your patrons or clients have also had these or similar questions. It can be hard to think of questions in the moment and what seemed clear at the time may feel uncertain later.

Health Literacy Month brings awareness to this issue for both health professionals and for the public.

You and your organization can help patients and the public know that it is ok to ask their doctor, nurse, physical therapist, and other healthcare professionals to speak simply so they can understand how to take care of their health.

Here are some organizations who have information about health literacy and some have tools to help spread the word.

Health Literacy books, selected books and resources by the NNLM Reading Club

Health Literacy resources, National Institutes of Health (NIH) information for the healthcare professionals and the public

Turn Awareness into Action with the Health Literacy Month Toolkit, Institute for Healthcare Advancement’s Health Literacy Solutions Center

Health Literacy Month: Social Media Toolkit, Georgia Tech’s Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation and Tools For Life