The Article in Brief

Quick Assessment of Literacy in Primary Care: The Newest Vital Sign

Barry D. Weiss, MD , and colleagues

Background As many as one half of all American adults lack the literacy skills needed to obtain and understand health information and services. This can affect their health and their ability to make medical decisions. Existing tests to determine patients’ level of health literacy are often long or available only in English. This study tested a new tool, available in English and Spanish, that is designed to be quick and accurate.

What This Study Found The new test (called the Newest Vital Sign) is the first literacy screening tool available in both English and Spanish that can be administered in approximately 3 minutes. It is suitable for testing patients’ literacy level in primary care practices.

Implications

• The Newest Vital Sign is quick and effective in the primary care setting.
• Future research could determine whether the Newest Vital Sign is effective in different medical settings, and whether raising clinicians’ awareness of health literacy by using the test leads to better patient-doctor communication and better patient health.