Four tips to help boost health literacy in the workplace

Despite the wealth of health information at our disposal, a striking disconnect persists in health literacy among many Americans. A recent study reveals that just one in three people (36%) said they confidently understand their doctors’ advice and just half (54%) said health care providers offer enough time to discuss their needs.

This shortfall not only poses challenges in public health and patient care, but it also presents a significant financial burden for employers. The lack of health literacy is estimated to cost the U.S. economy as much as $238 billion annually, with employers bearing around $4.8 billion of that in administrative expenses.

Below are four strategies employers can adopt to help cultivate a workplace that promotes health literacy, helping enhance employees’ capacity to make informed health decisions and fostering a healthier, more engaged workforce.

Make the Most of Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs can help promote health literacy by encouraging consumers to set health goals and offering incentives for certain daily or one-time healthy behaviors. These consumer engagement programs can also assist employees with knowledge and tools to make more informed decisions spanning exercise, nutrition, sleep and preventive care. By integrating wellness initiatives, employers can help create a health-conscious culture, helping motivate employees toward better health and cultivating a more informed workforce.

Educate Your Workforce on Site-of-Care Choices

Where employees seek care can dramatically affect costs, making it crucial for informed decision-making. Each care option, from virtual visits to emergency rooms, carries its own cost implications. Notably, ER visits can be 15 to 52 times more expensive than other care alternatives. If an employee is experiencing a condition like back pain or a muscle sprain, urgent care may be a better site-of-care option since the employee may save up to $872 and the employer may save up to $1,666. Educating employees on selecting the appropriate care setting for their needs can lead to substantial savings for both the individual and the organization, enhancing health literacy and financial well-being in the workplace.

Promote Employee Assistance Programs

Health literacy is largely interconnected with financial literacy, as they both influence our capacity to make informed decisions about our health and financial well-being. Many employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer financial resources and tools to help narrow financial literacy gaps, such as tax planning, debt management, and savings guidance. EAPs can also serve as a first line of defense for behavioral health issues, which can affect cognitive functions and the ability to understand health information. UnitedHealthcare commercial members can call in to speak with a master’s level behavioral health clinician to receive support as many times as needed, in real–time, and around the clock.

Leverage Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Rooted in the principles of diversity and inclusion, ERGs are employee-led groups that are based upon shared characteristics, demographics, life experiences or allyship for underrepresented populations. For that reason, they offer a safe space for employees to discuss barriers and solutions to health literacy in an authentic, supporting manner. ERGs can be pivotal in pooling collective insights to enhance the effectiveness of outreach of wellness programs and EAPs across the organization.

Promoting health literacy within the workplace is as much a matter of corporate responsibility as it is a strategic investment in the overall well-being and productivity of the workforce.