Employers Can Play Key Role in Building Health Literacy – LVB – Lehigh Valley Business

What we know about our health, and how we use that information, is not only critical to good public health, but vital to business and industry as well. 

Health literacy “plays a crucial role in our being able to live the best quality of life we can, which makes it absolutely critical for employers who rely on a healthy and productive workforce,” said Kelly Brennan, director of health promotion and wellness at Capital Blue Cross. Productivity and quality suffer when workers are absent, or working while they are sick, she added. 

Understanding the role of preventive screenings, learning about nutrition and good food choices, knowing and following medication schedules, or understanding a diagnosis and learning how to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system are good examples of health literacy.  

The research is clear: People who understand their own health often make healthier lifestyle choices. A 2020 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services linked lower health literacy to poorer health decisions, less adherence to treatment regimens, greater reliance on hospital emergency departments, and greater rates of childhood depression and asthma. 

“As clinicians, what we say does not matter unless our patients are able to understand the information we give them,” wrote former U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin in a report published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Employers have a unique opportunity to build the health literacy of their workers by hosting worksite wellness programs, onsite clinics, and employee assistance programs, to name a few examples.  

Capital Blue Cross, for example, promotes health literacy in several ways for its employees and covered employer groups, including by:  

Providing easy-to-understand member health education materials, in multiple languages when needed. 
Helping members with complex medical problems understand what to ask their providers, and how to care for themselves. 
Offering a team of social workers to help members find resources such as transportation or meal delivery. 

Providing resources such as Health Insurance 101 to help individuals understand health insurance terms.  

Brennan emphasized employers need to make these types of services user-friendly. “If they aren’t utilized, they’ll fall short of the goal.” 

(For more health and wellness news and information that can benefit your business and employees, visit thinkcapitalbluecross.com)