Healthcare Literacy for Individuals and Employers | The Women's ...

What is Healthcare Literacy? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, health literacy is defined as, ?the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions and services needed to prevent or treat illness.? In addition, healthcare literacy for both individuals and employers includes the knowledge of when to seek help and which resources are appropriate for the issues at hand.

Individuals and employers must work together for health and healthcare literacy because the healthcare system is complicated. Individuals? heal thcare?? ?decisions?? ?a ff ect?? ?themsel ves,?? ?their families and their employers. Sound, well- informed?? ?decisions?based?? ?on?? ?heal thcare literacy?can lead to appropriate health outcomes for the individual, less stress for the family, and overall cost containment for employers who pay for health insurance.

Poor or uninformed healthcare decisions?caused by inability to navigate the healthcare system, lack of medical knowledge, or lack of understanding about health policy and administrative savvy? can create negative health outcomes, increased family stress and high costs for individuals and employers. Unless individuals and employers work together, both are at risk for negative health outcomes, increased hospital or healthcare facility readmission rates, and rising costs.

When Individuals Need Help

Patients and caregivers can become overwhelmed quickly with both the medical and administrative aspects of the healthcare system. Recognition that one needs help and a search for help from appropriate resources are critical to reaching an optimal outcome. Before selecting a healthcare resource, find out if there are any conflicts of interest?if the company or provider is receiving compensation from another source such as a health insurer. Decisions made by the company or provider could be influenced by the outside source that is providing them with compensation?not necessarily the decision that is best for the patient.

When Employers Need Help

Employers struggle with spiraling healthcare costs and sometimes spend precious dollars on wellness and advocacy programs that either do not deliver results or deliver mediocre results. Employers must evaluate whether they are receiving exceptional service, whether health and wellness partners are fully engaged with their company, and whether employees are making the most of the healthcare services provided by the company. If the outcomes received don?t match the money expended, employers should consider selecting a more appropriate healthcare vendor, one that enhances a competitive benefits package while also providing health & wellness and advocacy programs that deliver results.

Genuine Healthcare Resources LLC helps patients and their caregivers understand complex medical terminology and issues, such as healthcare literacy and how it can affect care and costs, and works with people to receive the best healthcare possible.

By Linda M Raileanu, President and CEO of Genuine Healthcare Resources, LLC

Linda M Raileanu is President/CEO of Genuine Healthcare Resources, LLC. She is a Registered Nurse with her masters in management / public administration, concentration in health care policy. Linda has over 23 years of diverse health care experience, spanning the hospital setting, managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, long-term care continuum, home health, and alternative medicine; She spent 8 years at Independence Blue Cross where she gained extensive managed care expertise. Through the Penn State School of Nursing she obtained her certification as a ?Geriatric Resource Nurse.?

For Additional Information:

Phone: 610-977-2499 | Email: GHR@genuine-hcr.com | www.genuine-hcr.com

Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Source: http://womensjournalcc.com/blog/2013/01/healthcare-literacy-for-individuals-and-employers/

frank gore nfl games jesus montero hiroki kuroda kuroda gene hackman pineda