October is Health Literacy Month – Building better health together

This year, Scarborough Health Network (SHN)’s recognition of Health Literacy Month is underscored by the recent launch of our first-ever Health Literacy Strategy, which will guide our efforts from 2025 to 2029. This multi-phased strategy is focused on empowering our community, educating staff, and equipping patients with the tools needed to navigate health systems with confidence. 

2025 Scarborough community snapshot

• 60% are newcomers to Canada
• 75% are visible minorities
• 38% speak a language other than French or English at home
• 15% live in unsuitable housing conditions
• 100,000 do not have a primary care provider
• Many seniors live alone, and 50% experience difficulties with daily living activities

Through SHN’s new Health Literacy strategy, we are addressing challenges that our patients may face by weaving health literacy into many aspects of how we interact, engage, and communicate with them. We have established a Health Literacy Strategy Steering Committee and Working Group that brings together multidisciplinary perspectives from a wide range of programs and department. Our Health Literacy Strategy is well underway – and we’ve already made exciting progress. Here’s what we’ve achieved so far, and what we’re continuing to build. Some highlights include:

• Advancing digital patient education through SHN’s clinical information system Epic and electronic patient health record MyChart, including new features for care journeys and patient-reported outcomes
• Adding new and updated community resources and navigation tools to our SHN website
• Creating and standardizing patient education materials and formats within and across several key clinical program areas
• Enhancing access to translated patient education materials at discharge, improving After Visit Summaries, and promoting interpretation and translation services
• Leading and investing in key partnerships – including with Woburn Collegiate Institute through our Working Together for Better Health partnership, and with Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities through the HealthFacts+ Clinic.

A huge congratulations to all the staff, physicians, learners and volunteers involved in what has already been achieved as we start rolling out this strategy. We also encourage everyone at SHN to be part of bringing our Health Literacy Strategy to life.

Here are a few practical ways that our people are health literacy heroes each and every day:

• Using the Teach-Back Method: We ask patients and families to explain information in their own words to confirm understanding. This proven approach improves communication, health outcomes, and reduces errors.
• Accessing Interpretation and Translation Services: Utilizing our on-site and telephone interpretation available in over 200 languages, including American Sign Language, and translation services available to provide key patient information in the top languages spoken in Scarborough.
• Encouraging patients to register for MyChart: One of the easiest ways for our patients to access health information is through MyChart. We ask them about signing up using MyChart activation codes, which are available by email when patients register for an appointment or when they review their after-visit summary. Once they have the activation code, they can visit mychart.ourepic.ca to create their MyChart account.

As we celebrate Health Literacy Month, it’s important to recognize how our Health Literacy Strategy directly addresses the unique needs of Scarborough’s diverse community. By breaking down language and cultural barriers, we are not only improving access to health information and services, but also empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health. This month serves as a reminder of our organization’s commitment to building better health together – ensuring every person in our community can confidently navigate their healthcare journey and receive the care they deserve.