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.
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.
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.
The figures have prompted the focus for this year’s NSW Multicultural Health Week (3 – 9 September) to be on clearer communication, with the tagline ‘Talk, Listen, Ask”.
“We know a lot of people come back to our emergency departments with problems around medication, complications,” NSW health literacy and diversity health manager Fiorina Mastroianni told SBS News.
“We need to get better at communicating or making sure that our patients and their families and their carers understand the information that we provide.”
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