ABC Health Matters
ABC Health Matters empowers Canadians to manage their health more effectively by increasing their confidence when talking about and making decisions regarding health issues with family, friends and health professionals. Through the program, adults develop a deeper understanding of how to advocate for their and their family’s health and better understand how to access health care.
Download Free Resources
Improve your health literacy skills with these free resources. The ABC Health Matters resources are for use at home and in workshops and activities that are also free for participants. Resources are not to be used for commercial purposes.
Resources for Patients & Caregivers:
- Managing Stress with a Chronic or Rare Disease (workbook)
- Managing Stress with a Chronic or Rare Disease (online course) New!
- Take Charge of Your Health (workbook)
- Take Charge of Your Health (online course)
- Organizing Care (workbook)
- Organizing Care (online course)
- Healthy Caregiving (workbook)
- Healthy Caregiving (online course)
- Map Out Your Health (ON edition)
- Map Out Your Health (NL edition)
- Make a Medical History Card
- Health Passport
- Caring for a loved one
- Tips for your next Doctor Visit
- You and Your Pharmacist
- Your Rights as a Patient
- Your Health Centres
- Doing Health Math
- Glossary of Health Words
- Learn about your health: Meet Dominic (video)
- Learn about your health: Meet Paul (video)
Resources for Health Care Providers:
Host a Workshop
Bring a health literacy workshop to your community.
For more information about ABC Health Matters, please contact:
Nnolika Niles
Programs Manager
nniles@abclifeliteracy.ca
416-218-0010 x130 | 1-800-303-1004 x130
Greer Donaldson
Program Coordinator
gdonaldson@abclifeliteracy.ca
416-218-0010 x127 | 1-800-303-1004 x127
Thank you!
This program is presented with support from The Alexion Charitable Foundation.
Testimonials
Facts & Statistics
According to the Canadian Public Health Association, 60% of Canadian adults and 88% of seniors are not health literate. Some seniors cannot follow instructions on a medicine bottle.
Examples of Health Literacy in Practice – Canadian Public Health Association, 2014
Health literacy is a stronger predictor of health status than socioeconomic status, age, or ethnic background.
Health Literacy: Concept Analysis – National Library of Medicine, 2005
Every person has a right to health. The ability to realise that right depends on everyone understanding their health, being able and empowered to make healthy choices, and being able to access effective interventions.
Why is Health Literacy Failing So Many? – The Lancet, 2022
Patients with low health literacy are more likely to make errors when interpreting medication instructions and warning labels.
Patients with Low Health Literacy Make More Errors Interpreting Instructions and Warnings – Institute for Safe Medical Practices, 2023
60% of adults in Canada are unable to obtain, understand and act upon health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions on their own. Seniors, immigrants and unemployed people have, on average, lower levels of health literacy skills.
Health Literacy in Canada: A Healthy Understanding – Canadian Council on Learning, 2008
Providing chronic patients with education on self-management combined with ongoing supervision by a case manager could create savings of over $2,000 per patient per year.
A Vision for a Health Literate Canada – Canadian Public Health Association, 2008
