Connect the Dots

I still remember the puzzles in Highlights for Children, the magazine that made reading a little more fun. Hidden Pictures challenged me to find pencils, teacups and other objects camouflaged in illustrations. Spot-the-difference games tested my powers of observation. And connect-the-dots puzzles transformed numbered dots into animals, objects and unexpected surprises.

During the summer, my parents added a connect-the-dots activity book to my reading pile, along with the obligatory coloring book. Horses and dogs were my preferred subjects!

I outgrew the activity books, but not the idea. In college and throughout my working years, bosses and colleagues talked about “connecting the dots” — looking beyond individual pieces of information to understand how they fit together and what they reveal.

Today, let’s connect a few dots of our own: reading, health literacy and one of healthcare’s biggest challenges — costs.

Reading Between the Lines
We read prescription labels, appointment reminders, insurance explanations and instructions from our doctors. We assume that if the words are there, the message is clear.

But reading words and understanding what they mean are two different things. Does a patient know when to take a medication and what to do if a dose is missed? Can someone distinguish between a deductible, copayment and coinsurance? Does an explanation of benefits actually explain anything?

Health literacy is about more than reading. It’s the ability to find, understand and use health information to make informed decisions. And that can be harder than it sounds.

When the Dots Don’t Connect
Sometimes, there’s simply too much information. Test results pop up in patient portals before a doctor can explain them. What does that number mean? Is it serious? Should I worry? While waiting for answers, patients may turn to “Dr. Google” — and find frightening possibilities that fuel their anxiety.

But what happens when patients can’t even access the information? As healthcare moves online, patients must navigate digital registrations, appointment confirmations and patient portals. For those without reliable internet access or the skills or confidence to use these tools, the problem isn’t information overload. It’s being locked out. Appointments may be missed, care postponed and already burdened office staff called on to help.

The consequences can extend beyond frustration. Misunderstood medication instructions, delayed treatment, missed preventive care and avoidable emergency visits can jeopardize health and drive up costs.

Health literacy isn’t the cause of every costly outcome. But when patients can’t access, understand or act on information, opportunities for better care — and potentially lower spending — may slip away.

Making the Picture Clear
Patients shouldn’t have to become medical experts, insurance specialists and professional puzzle solvers. Healthcare providers, health plans, employers and unions all have a role in making information easier to understand and use.

That means replacing jargon with plain language, explaining next steps, simplifying benefit materials and encouraging questions. Asking patients, “Can you tell me how you’ll take this medication at home?” may reveal more than simply asking, “Do you understand?”

Questions aren’t a sign of ignorance. They’re an opportunity to make sure the dots connect.

The Bigger Picture
Those childhood puzzles taught me to look closely, notice details and discover how individual pieces fit together.
Health literacy calls for the same skills — but the stakes are much higher than finding a hidden teacup or connecting the dots to reveal a horse.

Connecting the dots is a shared responsibility. Patients need information they can understand, and those who provide, pay for and explain healthcare must help make that information clear and accessible.

Perhaps it’s time to bring back a little Highlights wisdom: look closely, ask questions and connect the dots.
Because the goal isn’t to make patients better puzzle solvers. It’s to make healthcare less puzzling.

Happy reading,
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.