“Health illiteracy causes more deaths than cancer, diabetes or any other major killer” Walter Bortz M.D.
Quality health education programs teaching evidence-based medicine have the potential to improve the health and quality of life for millions of people. The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University is offering free access to a wealth of resources for the public as well as physicians and researchers to help sort through the clutter. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy Study, adults in the US have difficulty using the everyday health information that is available in healthcare, media, and communities. People need to be able to sort through the hype. In both alternative medicine as well as pharmaceutical medicine people need to be able to tell which choices in health care have a firm foundation of evidence-based medicine behind it. Without a clear understanding of prevention and self-care, people have a hard time avoiding or managing chronic diseases. This is especially true for older adults, lower socioeconomic and minority groups. Providing accurate, credible health information to the public is crucial for the future of healthcare around the world.