Health Literacy Assessment Survey

The Health Literacy Assessment Survey provides a structured way to evaluate how well patients understand health information, follow medical instructions, and navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. Low health literacy affects an estimated one in three American adults and is independently associated with higher hospitalization rates, lower medication adherence, poorer chronic disease outcomes, and increased healthcare costs. Despite its prevalence and impact, health literacy is rarely assessed systematically in clinical practice, leaving providers unaware that their communication approach may not be reaching patients effectively.

This survey draws on validated health literacy screening approaches including the Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS), Newest Vital Sign (NVS) concepts, and Brief Health Literacy Screening (BHLS) questions. It assesses the patient's confidence reading medical materials, understanding prescription labels, filling out health forms independently, and comprehending numerical information such as lab results and dosage instructions. Additional items evaluate the patient's comfort asking questions during appointments, awareness of available patient education resources, and preferred formats for receiving health information (written, verbal, visual, video, or translated materials).

This template is valuable for community health centers, safety-net clinics, federally qualified health centers, and any practice serving diverse or underserved populations where language barriers, limited formal education, or cultural differences may affect health comprehension. Care coordinators and patient educators use the results to tailor discharge instructions, simplify medication regimens, recommend teach-back communication techniques, and connect patients with appropriate literacy support resources. By identifying health literacy gaps proactively, practices can reduce avoidable readmissions, improve medication adherence, and close health equity gaps in their patient population.