HEALTH LITERACY AND PATIENT UNDERSTANDING OF PRESCRIPTIONS, EXAMINATIONS, AND MEDICATION USE: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BRAZILIAN UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM (SUS)

Abstract

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) is the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health-related information, a key determinant of care quality and patient safety. In Brazil, a substantial share of the population has inadequate HL, compromising the understanding of medical prescriptions, diagnostic tests, and medication use within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Objective: To synthesize, through an integrative review, the relationship between HL and patients' understanding of prescriptions, tests, and correct medication use, discussing implications for Primary Health Care (PHC) and for SUS policies. Methods: Integrative review following Mendes, Silveira and Galvão and Whittemore and Knafl, with searches in SciELO, PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, BDENF, and VHL. Results: Twenty documents were included, organized into four categories: HL and prescriptions; HL and diagnostic tests; HL and medication use; and strategies to expand HL within SUS. Findings link inadequate HL to lower treatment adherence, higher risk of medication errors, and reduced self-care autonomy, especially among older adults, people with low education, and those with chronic conditions. Conclusion: HL is a social determinant of health still poorly incorporated into routine clinical practice in SUS. Plain language, pictorial resources, teach-back, and professional training are promising strategies to reduce this gap.