The Important Role of Health Literacy in Integrated Care
摘要
This chapter explores the vital role of health literacy in the implementation of integrated care, especially in the face of growing complexity and interconnected global crises. It argues that strengthening health literacy at individual, professional, organizational, and systemic levels is essential to empower people to find, understand, appraise, and apply health-related information effectively. Health literacy is conceptualized as a dynamic set of competencies that enables people to manage their and others health and well-being. The chapter presents theoretical foundations and best practice examples and offers recommendations for policy and practice to support health literacy development. It emphasizes that integrated care cannot be sustainably achieved without robust health literacy—and conversely, integrated care can foster health literacy across various levels.