Health literacy is a term little understood by the general population. It is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information necessary to make appropriate health decisions and to receive the services needed to prevent or treat disease. disease” (About Health Literacy, 2014). A person's level of health literacy depends on their age, education level, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. Patients with poor health literacy have more difficulty navigating the health system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this group of patients may have more difficulty finding medical services and health care providers, filling out health forms, providing their complete medical history to their providers , seek preventive care, and understand health risks. associated with certain behaviors, managing chronic health conditions, and understanding how to take prescribed medications (About Health Literacy, 2014). It is, to some extent, the responsibility of the patient to increase their own health knowledge. But to what extent can they learn on their own? People working in healthcare have been trained to navigate the healthcare system and understand medical terms. They have the knowledge and skills to convey this understanding to their patients. Healthcare professionals have a shared responsibility to help improve patients' health literacy. There are many steps health professionals can take to help increase the health literacy of their patients. Some steps are simple, easy to carry out. Other tasks require the cooperation of multiple departments and individuals, but are equally important in helping to improve health literacy. The first step towards...... middle of paper ......cy. Retrieved from website: http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/audience/healthliteracy.pdfOsborne, H. (April 2014). Help patients resolve their problems. Retrieved from http://www.healthliteracy.com/tips.aspU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). (2014). About health literacy. Retrieved from website: http://www.hrsa.gov/publichealth/healthliteracy/healthlitabout.htmlU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). (2014). Free online health literacy course. Retrieved from website: http://www.hrsa.gov/publichealth/healthliteracy/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2014). Quick guide to health literacy. Retrieved from website: http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/quickguide/factsbasic.htm