The Role of Health Literacy in Major Healthcare Crises

The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows the vital role of accurate and reliable information to public health. Health literacy addresses not only patients needs but also the needs of the general population, who must not only comply with advice and instructions but also understand the severity of health crises and respond accordingly. A variety of crises imposed on healthcare systems constantly arise ranging from pandemics to natural catastrophes; in addition, there are crises within the healthcare systems, such as lack of resources and appropriate workforce. Crises in healthcare systems that are not efficiently dealt with may result in inefficiencies and inequalities in health provision. Health campaigns are used to increase the publics health literacy by providing simple and clear information to individuals and target groups. Understanding the links between health-related information, the intermediary campaigns, and the response of the public is of critical importance in order to appropriately shape the message and find issues that the public needs to unlearn and relearn.

The book examines the role of health literacy not only in informing the public but also in building a culture of cooperation between the healthcare systems and their users. It investigates the role of communication strategies and educational activities of multiple agencies at a local, national, and global level. The text also explores ethical issues associated with healthcare crises and how they are negotiated in health campaigns.