WCM-Q Grand Rounds explores impact of literacy on health – The Peninsula

WCM-Q Grand Rounds explores impact of literacy on health – The Peninsula

Doha: The impact of literacy on the health and wellbeing of individuals and the public as a whole was discussed at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s Grand Rounds.

Jamie Gray (pictured), associate librarian and director of the Distributed eLibrary at WCM-Q, explained what is understood by the term ‘health literacy’ and discussed how literacy in information and science can intersect with health literacy affecting personal health choices and therefore health and wellbeing.

Gray also examined the influence of social determinants on information, science, and health literacy, and summarised a variety of strategies for enhancing domain literacies at the level of the individual and of the population, with a view to improving health outcomes.

The presentation, titled “Why Literacy Matters: How Information, Science, and Health Literacy Impact Individuals and Public Health”, was broadcast as a live webinar.

Gray said: “Being able to engage with our health requires a certain level of literacy specialised to the health domain. When we talk about someone being health literate, it means that they have a certain level of understanding and participation in the promotion of their wellbeing. So, health literacy is a collection of knowledge, skills and actions that individuals and communities must undertake to ensure a community’s and person’s overall