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Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health. Nearly half of all American adults have difficulty understanding and applying health information. But health literacy goes beyond the individual. It also depends on the skills, preferences, and expectations of those health information providers: our doctors, nurses, administrators, others. Limited health literacy may lead to billions of dollars in avoidable health care costs. If patients cannot comprehend needed health information, attempts to improve the quality of care and reduce health care costs and disparities may fail. Health literacy arises from a convergence of education, health services, and social and cultural factors, and brings together research and practice from diverse fields.