Health literacy around the world

Thank you for taking the time to help us learn what is happening in health literacy around the world. This survey is being conducted at the request of the U.S. Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Health Literacy by Andrew Pleasant, Ph.D., Health Literacy and Research Director at the Canyon Ranch Institute.

Our goal is simple - to identify what policies, programs and practices, and training or educational efforts that focus on health literacy are underway around the world.

This survey is targeting activities in, and seeking participation from, every country in the world.

To reach that goal, we need your help in two ways.

First, please answer the questions that follow as completely as you can for any and all countries of which you have knowledge.

Second, please forward the invitation to participate in this survey to your knowledgeable and trusted colleagues who are actively working in health literacy around the world.

Your identity will always be confidential. Your name will never be released in association with the information you provide.

We will be asking about a broad range of health literacy activities, including business, education, government, non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

On the following pages, we start by asking you which countries you are aware of where there are any health literacy activities conducted by the government. Then we ask you for details about those activities. You can respond about up to nine (9) countries - one at a time - each time you take the survey. If you are aware of health literacy activities in more than 9 countries, simply retake the survey.

Then, we shift the focus to gather your knowledge about health literacy activities ongoing specifically in the European Union organization, in efforts of the United Nations, in non-governmental/non-profit organizations, the business sector, and in education.

Out of necessity, many of the questions are open-ended, asking you to describe the health literacy activities that you are aware of. Frankly, this will take some effort on your part to complete - but we hope you agree the effort will be worthwhile as you will help us to create a better understanding of how health literacy is being put into action around the world and how best to continue to advance health literacy in policy and practice.

Again, thank you so very much for taking the time to help us gather this important knowledge and for forwarding the invitation to take this survey to your peers and colleagues around the world.