Consumer Health Information, Essay Example

Introduction

Consumer health literacy is an important component of modern healthcare practice because it enables patients to be proactive in understanding the issues that impact their health, as well as in recognizing how to best overcome personal health concerns that influence their own perspectives regarding health. It is important to recognize that many consumers who are tech-savvy may have a tendency to self-diagnose using various websites; however, this does not replace truthful and unbiased healthcare information comprised of the facts that is available from reputable sources. It is necessary for consumers to properly decipher and interpret health information effectively in order to identify areas where health information is lacking or is inappropriate in meeting patient needs.

Analysis

Interpreting health information in the appropriate manner requires a high level of focus and an understanding of the different expectations that consumers have regarding information that is easily accessible on the web and in other locations (Goldberg et.al, 2011). In this context, consumers must be able to obtain health information that is accurate and timely, rather than to rely on information that is untruthful and outdated (Goldberg et.al, 2011). Health information must be properly evaluated and provide useful insight regarding health issues of concern that impact many consumers (Goldberg et.al, 2011). Consumers must also be receptive and willing to learn about health issues through skill development and literacy strategies to improve confidence in health information and in the experts who provide this information to the masses (Car et.al, 2011). These practices require expert knowledge and guidance in advancing health and in supporting preventative and proactive strategies to protect health through improved knowledge and awareness (Car et.al, 2011).

Patients must be adequately prepared to improve their health literacy and to seek out information freely regarding health topics; however, this practice must also take other factors into consideration, such as preventative education that is used to address primary health concerns (Car et.al, 2011). Health literacy is a lifelong phenomenon that requires an effective understanding of the different elements that attract consumers to this practice, such as information that is truthful yet relatively easy to understand (Schnitzer et.al, 2011). These practices require individuals to take the steps that are required to ensure they are health literate and possess knowledge of a variety of health topics from a honest and truthful perspective so that they are able to better understand their own issues more effectively (Schnitzer et.al, 2011). At the same time, it is important for consumers to develop an effective understanding of their needs and to be proactive in recognizing that health literacy is a critical factor in their own growth and maturity (Sheridan et.al, 2011). These factors require experts to educate others regarding health literacy and to be cognizant of the issues that may emerge that impact health knowledge in different ways (Sheridan et.al, 2011).

Conclusion

Consumers must be able to receive and comprehend health information in an effective manner, as this provides a greater sense of accomplishment and an understanding of the different elements that impact their own wellbeing. Health literacy is a lifelong process that requires health knowledge to be accurate and appropriate for consumers so that they are able to identify specific factors related to their own health. This practice also requires a long-term commitment to educating individuals across different age groups so that they are able to actively participate in making decisions regarding their own health that will have a positive impact on their lives throughout the life span.

References

Car, J., Lang, B., Colledge, A., Ung, C., & Majeed, A. (2011). Interventions for enhancing consumers’ online health literacy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 6.

Goldberg, L., Lide, B., Lowry, S., Massett, H. A., O’Connell, T., Preece, J., … & Shneiderman, (2011). Usability and accessibility in consumer health informatics: current trends and future challenges. American journal of preventive medicine, 40(5), S187-S197.

Schnitzer, A. E., Rosenzweig, M., & Harris, B. (2011). Health literacy: A survey of the issues and solutions. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 15(2), 164-179.

Sheridan, S. L., Halpern, D. J., Viera, A. J., Berkman, N. D., Donahue, K. E., & Crotty, K. (2011). Interventions for individuals with low health literacy: a systematic review. Journal of Health Communication, 16(sup3), 30-54.