Health Literacy

Health Literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Common Table Health Alliance has identified health literacy as the dominant barrier to better population health in Shelby County.  According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, a leading authority on the measurement and analysis of health literacy of adults living in the United States, approximately 36% of adults have limited health literacy, and only 12% of the population has a proficient health literacy level. Cultural and linguistic differences among patients has directly impacted health literacy levels and contributed to the increased prevalence of health disparities.

CTHA is partnering with Literacy Mid-South to develop a large-community awareness campaign designed to engage providers, patients, and caregivers.  The focus is to provide consistent messaging about the importance of primary care and empower individuals, who may have limited comfort interacting with medical professionals, learn how to get the best and most appropriate care possible.

Participants will:

• Improve their literacy levels

• Improve their overall health awareness

• Become more confident with improved communication techniques

• Learn and identify various health care professionals

• Obtain practical knowledge about ER use, prescriptions, nutrition, diseases, insurance and medical forms

• Grow a personal health support network.

Our Health Literacy Advisory Partners

The CTHA Advisory Partners aim to collaborate with primary care facilities to improve patients' understanding regarding the care they receive. Through our community organization network, the Advisory Partners will increase the quality of life for primary care patients by improving low literacy rates and assisting clinical practices in cultural competency and information translation. Our Advisory Partners include representatives from the following organizations:

A Step Ahead Foundation
American Medical Group Associaion  
Aging Commission of the Mid-South 
Baptist Memorial Health Care
Christ Community Health Services
Church Health
Common Table Health Alliance
Literacy Mid-South
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
Q-Source
Regional One Health
Shelby County Health Department
University of Memphis School of Public Health
University of Tennessee Health Science Center