Health Literacy in Occupational Therapy
Did you know the average is American is only reading at a 7th-8th grade reading level? This could be a very life-threatening deficiency when it comes to medication management. If a person doesn't understand the labels, or the packets sent home the client can be at a high risk for overdosing due to taking too many or just be discouraged and not take the medicine at all which can be life threatening as well. It is important that as clinicians we use common terminology when speaking to our clients about their health. It is equally important that we check to see if the client is comprehending their diagnosis and treatments. The overall goal is to make sure the client is healthy, and by educating the client on ways to maintain their health we can ensure that they are working in the right direction. It takes a village, and as OTs we are a part of someone’s village that is working together to prevent, maintain, and rehabilitate.
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