Health literacy
PLOS is at the forefront of open, inclusive research into health literacy and healthcare systems, publishing studies across the breadth of public health and clinical medicine that help to empower patients, address health inequities and improve the health of individuals and populations globally.
Discover health literacy research from PLOS
Health literacy —a person’s ability to understand and use information to make decisions about their health—is fundamental to the delivery of healthcare and the functioning of health systems. Indeed, poor health literacy results in poor outcomes across a range of health indicators.
Health literacy and healthcare systems research at PLOS comprises a broad spectrum, placing the patient as the central focus, to evaluate the health needs of individuals and populations, including those who are underrepresented or marginalized.
PLOS’ health literacy research explores and evaluates patient satisfaction and the barriers to effective and equitable healthcare access. It examines the structure of healthcare systems across diverse geographical regions, and the implementation of science and policy that aims to strengthen health systems and provide equitable healthcare access to all.
PLOS’ Open Science publishing platform means rapid dissemination of high-quality, transparent research to clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders on a global scale.
Stay up-to-date on health literacy research from PLOS
Research spotlights
As a leading publisher in the field, these articles showcase research that has influenced academia, industry and/or policy.
Digital literacy as a new determinant of health: A
scoping review
PLOS Digital Health
Health literacy research topics
PLOS publishes research across a broad range of topics. Take a look at the latest work in your field.
Further medicine and health reading and insights
PLOS publishes a broad range of inter-disciplinary research in medicine and health, spanning multiple journals, disciplines, and regions. Uncover further curated research and insights in the following fields:
Read the latest research developments in your field
PLOS Global Public Health
79,377 authors from 191 countries chose PLOS to publish their health literacy research*
Reaching a global audience, this research has received over 9,000 news and blog mentions^
Research in this field has been cited 55,000 times
after authors published in a PLOS journal*
Related PLOS research Collections
Covering a connected body of work and evaluated by leading experts in their respective fields, our Collections make it easier to delve deeper into specific research topics from across the breadth of the PLOS portfolio.
Check out our highlighted PLOS research Collections:
Health literacy research insights
To celebrate Health Literacy Month 2023, we posted a series of research highlights and interviews discussing health literacy research and practices throughout the month.
Explore them below:
Related journals in health literacy
We provide a platform for health literacy & healthcare systems research across various PLOS journals, allowing interdisciplinary researchers to explore healthcare research at all preclinical, translational and clinical research stages.
*Data source: Web of Science. © Copyright Clarivate 2024 | January 2004 – January 2024
^Data source: Altmetric.com | January 2004 – January 2024
Breaking boundaries. Empowering researchers. Opening science.
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Our rigorous editorial screening and assessment process is made up of several stages. All PLOS journals use anonymous peer review by default, but we also offer authors and reviewers options to make the peer review process more transparent.