What's Your Health IQ?

Whether it relates to a routine check up or a global pandemic a better understanding of health-related information, human biology and treatment options is needed to better manage our own health care in the present and in the future.

An Assurance Series Post

According to the CDC many Americans admit they struggle to understand health information. But a general understanding of the diagnosis (reason for the disease or disorder) and resulting treatment plan has little to do with your intellectual IQ or skill level. It's more about your health IQ. A health IQ relates to the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to make informed health-related decisions that lead to informed actions for better health outcomes. Your health IQ develops a level of health literacy that enables you to find, understand, and use health information to improve your level of wellness and support the the health and wellness of others.

Informed Care Leads to Informed Action > Better Health Outcomes > Healthier Families and Communities> Improves our National Health > Crucial because a Healthy Population is Fundamental to a Thriving Society and Economy

As a high IQ is not the only factor determining intelligence but a common measure used to describe a person’s potential, a high health IQ does not guarantee optimum health. Knowledge and understanding of how your body works and responds to disease are important tools to increase your health IQ however there are a set of social, economic, and environmental determinants as well as someone's individual characteristics and behaviors that contributes to your health. A good health IQ forms a baseline so that you can manage these determinants to best ensure your health.

How to Improve Your Health Literacy

Studies show that there is a gap in an understanding of the human body that influences the way patients seek and evaluate health care resulting in a disconnect that significantly affects the quality of health. We need to bridge that gap to increase your health IQ. You can begin with this self-assessment to see how well you understand health information and how well you can communicate your health needs. As literacy depends on vocabulary (a knowledge of the meaning of words) and comprehension (the ability to understand, interpret, and make sense of what is read) you will find that a basic understanding of language of healthcare and of biological systems that effect the health of the human body is a necessary to develop your knowledge and potential.

As with any profession or skill there are special terms associated with health care with a common vocabulary and healthcare has its own language, commonly referred to as medical terminology. There is a reason for this. Most of you will not be competent in the terminology nor do you need to have a high level of proficiency to have a good health IQ but it is helpful to have a basic understanding of how your body works (Biology 101). and the words that are used to describe body parts and functions, diseases and disorders, tests and measurements, treatments, procedures and medicines.

Healthcare providers are aware that words are "lost in translation" and there is a growing effort to use plain language (often referred to as "layman's terms" ) to communicate information so patients can understand it, make informed decisions, and follow treatment plans. Defining medical/clinical terms using clear, simple, and accessible language to better facilitate communication. However it is still important to familiarize yourself with the language of healthcare as medical records documentation, health information management data and research publications follow professional standards of vocabulary.

How to Determine Your Health IQ

There are many self-assessments, on-line (health IQ quizzes) and health-related apps that offer ways to test your health literacy from entertaining trivia sites to knowledge based quizzes that test your actual understanding of health topics. They all vary in their reliability. Some are clinically validated while others masquerade as a self-diagnosing tool that can be misleading giving users a false sense of security or lead them to believe they can self-diagnose conditions that require professional attention. 

Even valid quizzes from reputable health organizations are designed as a resource to provide information and are not meant to replace professional diagnosis. As is this one designed by our health curriculum specialist; a university lecturer in health information management which is meant to be an academic assessment of typical terms and conditions relating to human biology and wellness that are useful as you navigate our current health care system.

1. A polyp is a ___

   
   

   A. Type of exercise

   B. Vitamin supplement

   C. Growth inside the large intestine (colon) or rectum

   D. Type of medicine

2. Taking care of diabetes can help stop problems like heart disease and kidney damage.

A. True

B. False

3. Which of the following is considered a chronic disease? 

   
   

   A. Influenza   

   B. Pneumonia  

   C. A broken arm   

   D. Hypertension

4. The definition of wellness is

   
   

   A. The state of optimal health within the mind, body, and spirit

   B. Feeling fantastic physically

   C. The state of not being ill

   D. The state of great physical health

5. A risk factor is

   
   

   A. Something that only positively effects your health

   B. Something that only others can control on your health

   C. Something that increases your chance of injury, illness, or possible death

   D. Something that happens when you do something dangerous
   

1. (C) A polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue that projects from the lining of a mucous membrane in the body. These growths can be benign (non-cancerous), precancerous (having the potential to become cancerous), or, less commonly, cancerous. Polyps can be found in many places, such as the colon, nose, and uterus, and can be shaped either flat against the tissue (sessile) or like a mushroom on a stalk (pedunculated). 

2. (True) The relationship between chronic kidney disesae CKD, diabetes, and heart disease is one example of the ways our organs are connected. When one organ isn’t working properly, it can put stress on other organs, causing them to stop working properly as well. High blood sugar can slowly damage the kidneys. When the kidneys don't work well, it puts stress on the heart. When someone has CKD, their heart needs to pump harder to get blood to the kidneys. This can lead to heart disease. Change in blood pressure is also a CKD complication that can lead to heart disease.

3. (D) Chronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. It is a persistent, long-term condition that develops over time and requires long-term management.

4. (A) Wellness is a state of optimal health within the mind, body, and spirit. It is not just the absence of illness but rather the achievement of optimal health in all aspects of a person's being.

5. (C) Risk factors are conditions or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing a disease, experiencing an injury, or having a negative outcome.