Original publication date: January 2025
For this month’s issue, we’re excited to highlight Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick and her groundbreaking work on health literacy. Dr. Lisa joined us for December’s Power is a Social Determinant of Health session to discuss the urgent need to address health literacy as a structural determinant of health outcomes.
Dr. Lisa, a medical epidemiologist, entrepreneur, and founder of Grapevine Health, brings a wealth of experience to her mission of improving health outcomes through plain-language communication, combating misinformation, and rebuilding trust between patients and the healthcare system. Whether you’re a healthcare provider, policymaker, or advocate, her innovative approach to health education will provide actionable insights.
People Power Health
Watch: What if we act as if we love the future of healthcare?
The Anti-Authoritarian podcast
Listen: Episode on, 22nd Century Initiative, “Choosing Democracy Everyday” with Daniel Hunter
Health Affairs
Read: The Impact Of The Election On Health Policy And The Courts
The Foundation of Grapevine Health
Dr. Lisa’s career spans roles at the CDC, as Chief Medical Officer for Medicaid in Washington, D.C., and as a trusted voice on platforms like Forbes and social media. Her experiences shaped her understanding that clear communication is critical for trust and engagement.
Grapevine Health was born from this realization. It uses relatable, community-centered methods to empower individuals with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions.
The High Cost of Low Health Literacy
| During the session, Dr. Lisa shared eye-opening examples of how low health literacy directly impacts health outcomes and costs: – A patient ended up in the emergency room after interpreting prescription instructions to ‘take two pills daily’ as meaning both pills could be taken at the same time of day.” – Another avoided prescribed medications entirely, convinced doctors were “drug dealers on pharmaceutical payrolls.” – Many individuals trust misinformation over medical advice due to a lack of clear, relatable explanations. Statistics: – 50% higher hospitalization rates among individuals with low health literacy. – $20 billion in preventable medical errors annually, often linked to miscommunication. |
Stories from the Street: Building Bridges through Trust
| Dr. Lisa’s Doctor Lisa on the Street video series captures candid conversations with individuals about their health concerns. These interactions reveal the gaps in understanding and trust that many people experience: – A man diagnosed with heart disease questioned, “How can I have a heart condition if I feel fine?” After explaining how heart health impacts symptoms like shortness of breath, he responded, “No one ever told me that before.” – Another individual believed “Cancer is contagious” after observing clusters of illness within families. Dr. Lisa explained the genetic and environmental factors behind cancer, dispelling the myth. |
Fighting Misinformation with Plain Language
Dr. Lisa shared how misinformation often begins with a kernel of truth that becomes distorted over time. For example, a decades-old study on sugar and the immune system led to the persistent myth that “eating sugar shuts down your immune system for five hours.”
What You Can Do
| 1. Use Everyday Terms Academic language can be confusing and intimidating. Relatable messaging builds trust, which can increase engagement and close care gaps. 2. Support Grapevine Health’s Mission Help scale this critical work by supporting community-based health literacy initiatives. 3. Advocate for Plain-Language Policies Join the call for a national plain-language strategy to make health information accessible. 4. Bring Health Literacy into Your Work Encourage your organization to prioritize health literacy through training, community partnerships, and accessible communication strategies. |
| Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick and Grapevine Health’s hopeful story showcases how trust, education, and plain language can transform health outcomes. Watch the full Power Session here. Learn more about Grapevine Health. |
| The increase in misinformation is closely tied to poorer health outcomes, particularly for those who may not have easy access to reliable communities or resources. Earlier this month, Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of Grapevine Health—a data-driven health media company dedicated to sharing trustworthy health information within communities—led an insightful session in our Power is a Social Determinant of Health series. We learned the challenges that misinformation and the complex and unclear language used in medical environments can create, along with solutions to build trusted lines of communication within our communities and those who provide healthcare. |
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