Functional health literacy: reflections and concepts on its impact on the interaction among users, professionals and the health system

ABSTRACT Functional Health Literacy (FHL) is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. This theme concerns researchers/health professionals/public policy makers. In Brazil there aren’t any nation-wide polls which show the degree of FHL and if this phenomenon affects the population’s health. Its interdisciplinary, relational and interactional nature indicates that the FHL is influenced by health/educational systems, media, family, work, community and policy-making spaces. Concepts of FHL are analyzed opposed to the interaction user-professional-health care system, guided by the following questions: What is FHL? To what extent FHL interferes in communication between users, professionals and the health care system? What are its consequences on public health? Measures to the elevation of FHL should improve individual skills and humanized health services, improving their written and oral communications, meeting the needs/abilities of users.