Sixty per cent of Australians have low 'health literacy', with the figure rising for those with English as a second language.
Navigating the health system when you are sick can be difficult, particularly when English is not your first language.
It has prompted a push for simplified communication in the Australian health system, with doctors and nurses urged to think about the best way to speak with patients about their care.
Seventy-five per cent of Australians with English as a second language have what is called poor ‘health literacy’ – meaning they have a weak understanding of what to do when they are sick, and where to go to get better.
But it’s not just a problem limited to migrants and new arrivals; 60 per cent of all Australians have low health literacy.
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