The DFW Hospital Council (DFWHC) Foundation’s Health Literacy Collaborative Committee will be having its first meeting of the fiscal year on Friday, November 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Foundation offices in Irving.

All attendees are welcome for a forum created in 2017 to develop a health literate culture in North Texas.

Health literacy is the degree to which a community has the capacity to understand basic health information and services in order to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy is dependent upon the communication skills of lay persons and professionals, affecting a person’s ability to navigate their healthcare, including filling out forms and locating providers.

“Only 12 percent of adults have proficient health literacy,” said Patti Taylor, the DFWHC Foundation’s director of quality and patient safety and the coordinator of the committee. “In other words, nearly nine out of ten adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease.”

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, populations most likely to experience low health literacy are older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, people with less than a high school degree or GED certificate, people with low income levels, non-native speakers of English and people with compromised health status.

For information, please contact Patti at ptaylor@dfwhcfoundation.org.