Consumer Health: strategies to impact health literacy
Health literacy is essential for informed decision-making and improved health outcomes. However, many struggle to understand essential health information, leading to poorer health and reduced engagement with preventative services. Building on our previous insights published in Decoding the modern health consumer, this blog delves into findings from our Deloitte survey of 7,000 healthcare consumers, exploring their attitudes towards health information, the sources they trust and the disparities in access and engagement.1 We also outline potential strategies for consumer health companies to enhance health literacy by leveraging diverse channels, clear communication and innovative technology.
What is health literacy and why it does matter?
Health literacy encompasses an individual’s ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health-related information in everyday life, and take informed decisions and health-promoting measures.2 High levels of health literacy enable individuals to understand crucial health information, allowing them to effectively manage their own health and care, take medications correctly, utilise appropriate health services, and manage long-term conditions. Conversely, lower levels of health literacy are linked to poor general health due to lack of proactive personal daily care, reduced use of preventative services like vaccinations and screenings, increased hospital admissions, and ultimately more significant negative outcomes and a shorter life expectancy.3
The current global state of health literacy is concerning. Measures indicate 'one in every three to almost one in every two Europeans may not be able to understand essential health-related material”.4 This challenge is evident in the United Kingdom where 43 per cent of adults find it hard to understand written health information, and this number rises to 61 per cent when numerical data is included in the health information”.5
Consumers: actively searching for health information
The World Health Organisation identifies access to and engagement with health information as a core pillar of health literacy.6 Our survey found that modern healthcare consumers are active in seeking health information, with 42 per cent searching for health information at least once a week, and 68 per cent doing so at least once a month (see Figure 1). This behaviour was consistent across geographies and socio-economic backgrounds. However, age of the consumer has an impact: those aged 65 and over were four times more likely to “never” search for health information than the youngest group (18-34 years old).
Figure 1. How often do you actively look for information on topics related to physical or mental health?
Regarding trusted sources of health information, consumers primarily turn to healthcare professionals (44 per cent) and pharmacists (29 per cent), ranking them as the top and third most common source of information, respectively. However, online health blogs/websites (34 per cent) was a more popular source than pharmacists and social media (24 percent) was the fifth most popular source for health and wellbeing information. This dynamic of increased reliance on social media and online health blogs/websites highlights a potential risk of increased reliance on informal and unregulated sources.
Urban residents are the most frequent users of online health blogs/websites (37 per cent), online social media (27 per cent), and online influencer posts (15 per cent) (see Figure 2). This suggests greater access to and confidence in navigating and utilising digital health information platforms among urban populations.
Conversely, rural consumers exhibit a more traditional approach, predominantly preferring to gather information from doctors (38 per cent), pharmacists (28 per cent), and friends/family (25 per cent).7 This preference for traditional interaction is further reinforced by their attitudes towards new technologies, with our survey showing that resistance to trying an AI health chatbot is twice as high in rural areas compared to cities.
Figure 2. Which of the following are your most common sources of information for health and wellbeing information?
These findings collectively highlight that while most modern consumers actively seek health information, the frequency and preferred sources vary considerably based on age and location. Younger demographics are more proactive in their search, whereas older individuals are less likely to seek health information. These disparities underscore that effective health literacy strategies must account for these demographic and geographic differences in how individuals’ access and engage with health information.
Consumer Health companies: strategies to impact health information and literacy
Challenges related to accessing, understanding, and applying health information can be addressed by consumer health companies, ultimately improving the population’s health literacy.
It is important to leverage multiple channels to ensure information is accessible regardless of a consumer’s resources or preferred interaction style. A comprehensive and effective channel strategy employs a wide range of channels to reach individuals through their preferred and/or available means, thereby maximising reach and impact. This approach mirrors a strategic shift seen in the government’s 10-year health plan for England, which advocates for ‘Neighbourhood Health Service’, focussing on shifting from analogue to digital and delivering care closer to patients.8 Strategies like this enables tailoring engagement to different cohorts, acknowledging the diverse preferences observed across age groups and geographical locations.
While the channel strategy is an essential step, it will only be effective if it supports the right message strategy. Opportunity exists to leverage science and technology to deliver content fit for the needs of specific audiences:
- Communicate science in everyday consumer language: Our survey reveals that 77 per cent of consumers value verifiable scientific evidence, rating products as “clinically proven or endorsed by a healthcare professional” as important to their purchase decisions. However, technical jargon presents a significant barrier to health literacy. To improve understanding, scientific research should be communicated clearly and accessibly, thus striking the right balance. For example, allergy medicines can sometimes affect brain function, leading to side effects like drowsiness. In 2025, Opella partnered with Disney, using characters like Sleep, Sneezy, and Grumpy from Snow White to highlight the non-drowsy benefits of their product, translating complex concepts into relatable, everyday language.9 If the formal channels don’t get this balance right, they will be rejected by consumers in favour of unregulated sources available online – such as social media influencers.
- Create targeted educational programmes for underserved communities: By providing accessible and culturally relevant information, these programmes can empower consumers to make informed health decisions. An example of this is Kenvue’s Aveeno Skin Visibility campaign, focussing on eczema in Black skin, a condition often underdiagnosed and underrepresented in the medical field. The campaign offered resources such as symptom quizzes, digital talk series featuring dermatologists, and local community events. This strategy effectively combined digital resources with in-person engagement, ensuring information was accessible regardless of background.10
- Leverage technology to build inclusive content: Focus on using technology to develop targeted content that prioritises clear language, compelling visuals and representation of diverse demographics. An example of this is Haleon’s Health Inclusivity Screener, which employs an AI tool to assess creative content against health literacy, accessibility and representation. While the tool’s scanning capabilities are AI-driven, human oversight ensures the accuracy of its insights. This inclusive marketing tool aims to “help make Haleon’s advertising more understandable and accessible for consumers, ultimately improving health outcomes in the process, while also driving tangible business benefits like increased ROI”. Piloted in nine markets, Haleon estimates that the tool has driven a 225 per cent uplift in ROI when adding sound to ads that previously lacked it”.11
Conclusion
Health literacy is undeniably a cornerstone of individual well-being and effective healthcare engagement. Our survey shows a complex landscape where, despite a general eagerness among consumers to seek health information, significant disparities persist based on age and geographical location. Consumer health companies are uniquely positioned to bridge these gaps and significantly enhance health literacy. By adopting comprehensive, multi-channel strategies that cater to diverse preferences and by crafting messages that are clear, culturally relevant, and scientifically sound, these companies can empower individuals to make informed health decisions. Leveraging innovative technologies, such as AI-powered content assessment, further enables the creation of inclusive and accessible information. Ultimately, by prioritising clarity, accessibility, and tailored engagement, consumer health companies can play a pivotal role in fostering a more health-literate society, leading to improved health outcomes for all.
