HJNO Jan/Feb 2026

48 JAN / FEB 2026 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS MEDICAID StrengthenDigital Inclusion Initiatives Digital tools can improve efficiency when you know how to use them. Organi- zations can promote digital health literacy by: • Offering simplified, multilingual tuto- rials for telehealth, portal navigation, and remote monitoring tools. • Partnering with libraries, community centers, and nonprofit organizations to provide digital literacy training. • Ensuring that mobile apps use intui- tive, icon-based designs accessible to a broad range of literacy levels. • Providing alternatives (e.g., phone- based care management) for mem- bers with limited digital access. Leverage Community Partnerships to Ex- tendHealth Literacy Support Community organizations, faith com- munities, adult education programs, shel- ters, immigrant support groups, and local public health agencies, often have trusted relationships with Medicaid beneficiaries. Strengthening health literacy through in- tentional and purposeful partnership can be achieved by: • Funding community-based health educators and peer navigators. • Co-developing culturally relevant workshops on preventive care, chronic disease management, and in- surance navigation. • Integrating health literacy into ex- isting community programs such as GED courses or job training initia- tives. • Supporting mobile outreach to un- derserved neighborhoods and rural areas. Partnerships amplify reach and build trust, a critical factor in sustained engage- ment (Seidel et al., 2023). Use Data-Driven Insights to Identify and SupportAt-Risk Populations Advanced analytics enable health orga- nizations to detect indicators of low health literacy, such as missed appointments, repeated emergency department visits, or challenges with medication adherence (Seidel et al., 2023). These insights can be utilized to: • Deploy targeted care management resources. • Tailor communication styles and out- reach intensity. • Develop personalized interventions for members with complex needs. • Monitor improvement and stratify populations for proactive support. Data-informed strategies ensure effi- cient allocation of resources and measur- able outcomes. Health Literacy Is a Health Imperative Health literacy is much greater than an individual skill. It is the structural, rela- tional, and contextual factor that shapes every aspect of health engagement and outcomes. Without it, poor outcomes are a given. But providers, health plans, and community-based organizations occupy a pivotal position to lead transformative change. By embracing proven strategies, they can empower Medicaid beneficiaries to better understand their health, navigate care confidently, and participate actively in the decisions that shape their well-being (Romanova et al., 2024). Ultimately, improving health literacy is not only a clinical priority but an ethical and economic imperative, one that ad- vances health equity, improves outcomes, and strengthens the collective resilience of our communities. n REFERENCES Fitzpatrick, P. J. “Improving Health Literacy Us- ing the Power of Digital Communications to Achieve Better Health Outcomes for Patients and Practitioners.” Frontiers in Digital Health 5 (2023): 1264780. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fdgth.2023.1264780. Romanova, A., et al. “Improving Health and Scien- tific Literacy in Disadvantaged Groups: A Scop- ing Review of Interventions.” Patient Education and Counseling 122 (2024): 108168. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.pec.2024.108168. Seidel, E., et al. “Strategies to Improve Organi- zational Health Literacy.” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023. “Health Literacy in Healthy People 2030.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2025). https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/ priority-areas/health-literacy-healthy- people-2030. Yu, Y.S., et al. “Sociodemographic Disparities in Health Literacy Among American Adults: A Na- tional Survey Study.” Preventive Medicine Re- ports 57 (2025): 103179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. pmedr.2025.103179. “Given their central role in coordinating services, designing benefits, and communicating with members, healthcare providers, health plans, and community-based organizations are uniquely positioned to lead health literacy initiatives.”