Oral Health Literacy
From the Winter 2012 issue of the ADEA CCI Liaison Ledger
Dushanka V. Kleinman, D.D.S., M.Sc.D., Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and former Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service
Health literacy involves a multiplicity of skills: reading, speaking, speech comprehension, writing, basic mathematics, and listening—all in the context of health. I learned that the populations that are most at risk include the elderly, the poor, and those with a high school or less education. I learned about the critical role health professionals can play by communicating to patients in a manner they find acceptable, can understand, and can act upon. Read more.