Improving Health Literacy at the Community Level

Models for improving personal health literacy typically address patient and consumer communication. These models are implemented at the community level in a variety of settings, such as within schools or public libraries, depending on the type of program. Many models for improving health literacy at the community level involve community-based advocates.

This toolkit describes three models for improving personal health literacy implemented at the community level:

• Community Health Workers (CHWs), Extension Agents, and Health Literacy Community Advocates
• Health Literacy Programs in Public Libraries
• School-Based Interventions to Improve Health Literacy