What is Health Literacy ?
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Health literacy is the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.
In health care, health literacy is important because it gives patients the ability to understand written information, and the power to make important decisions related to their own health.
Cite: https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html
What are culturally and linguistically appropriate translations?
Culturally and linguistically appropriate translations are a way to improve the quality of services provided to all individuals, which will ultimately help reduce health disparities and achieve health equity.
Providing culturally and linguistically appropriate translations is one strategy to help eliminate health inequities. By tailoring services to an individual’s culture and language preferences, health professionals can help bring about positive health outcomes for diverse populations.
You can read more about CLAS (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services) in the following website: https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas
Text adapted from CLAS website: https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/what-is-clas
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