Atlanta Medical Center Emergency Room Discharge According to reports approximately 9 out of 10 adults experience "difficulty using the everyday health information that is routinely available in health care facilities, retail outlets, media, and communities." (Health.Gov, 2011) Limited health literacy is linked to: (1) poorer health outcomes; and (2) higher health care costs. (Health.Gov, 2011) In addition, limited health literacy affects the ability of the individual in: (1) searching for and using health information; (2) adopting healthy behaviors; and (3) acting on important public health alerts. (Health.Gov, 2011) Health literacy is reported to be dependent on both individual and systemic factors including those as follows: (1) communication skills of professionals and laypersons; (2) professional and lay knowledge of health topics; (3) culture; (4) demands placed on public health and healthcare systems; (5) Demands arising from the situation or context. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,...

Department of Health and Human Services, 2011) Cultural competence is reported as the "ability of health organizations and practitioners to recognize that the cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, traditions, language preferences, and health practices of diverse populations, and to apply that knowledge to a positive health outcome." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011) It is reported that populations most likely to experience low health literacy are: (1) older adults; (2) racial and ethnic minorities; and (3) people with less than a high school degree or GED certification; (4) people with low income levels; (5) non-native speakers of English; and (6) people with compromised health status. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011)
II. Proposed Solution

The key element…