Healthcare providers can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the care they provide by recognizing their patients' health literacy. Health literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." It is a measure of the clarity of the communication between the healthcare system and the patient. The consequences that can occur when the patients' health literacy is not addressed include: poorer health status, high rates of health services use, compromised patient safety, and increased health care costs. The mnemonic SPEAK (Speech, Perception, Education, Access, and Knowledge) provides a simple framework that healthcare providers can use to enhance their own awareness of health literacy components during patient care. Case examples show how the mnemonic can be used in everyday practice.
