To assess the functional health literacy of low
income adults, the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA)
was developed collaboratively by faculty at Georgia State University
and Emory University. The TOFHLA enables medical professionals to determine
patients' general level of health literacy in numeracy and reading comprehension.
These skills enable a patient to understand and follow a doctor's instructions
-- for instance, to follow the instructions that accompany medications,
to read a reminder card for a clinic appointment, and to be fully aware
of the issues involved in signing an informed consent document. The
TOFHLA is available in both English and Spanish versions, regular and
large print, and in a short version for screening. It has been used
as the data-collection instrument in several research projects. One
project, conducted at large urban hospitals, found that many patients
were unable to read and understand written medical instructions and
that low functioning health literacy was a factor in poor health outcomes
especially in those with chronic diseases.
