Health Literacy

1. Make the system easier to navigate. To a relative newcomer to Australia the system seems quite fragmented with multiple providers and no unifying vision. This makes it difficult to understand and know where to “enter” the system.

2. Perhaps create one “brand” which all public health providers can use and which private providers can apply for? Using this brand would mean the consumer would know the service meets a set of agreed standards and values and would create a “home” for all health related information. (See the NHS website – www.nhs.uk.)

3. Support “ambassadors” who can work with people who have complex health needs and need support from a range of providers – they could be accessed through the HealthDirect telephone number and assigned for people who have complex needs. They could also be consumers who can navigate through the system and who have time to spend with people who may be distressed or anxious – which can prevent people assimilating information well.

Source: yourHealth | What should we do to boost the health literacy of Australians?