How poor health literacy can diminish access to palliative care

How poor health literacy can diminish access to palliative care 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/11/24 
Low health literacy among seriously ill patients can impede access to palliative care and complicate efforts to improve health equity. Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, according to the Institute of Medicine. A health illiterate patient may have a strong overall ability to read or have an advanced education but have a limited understanding of information specific to health care. ... The issue deepens when it comes to palliative care. An estimated 71% of adults in the United States are unaware that palliative care exists, studies have shown, even though nearly 80% of consumers who received background information on palliative care say they would choose it for themselves or their loved ones.