Companies should also check resources such as the NAAL to see how they can align their marketing pieces with published health-literacy guidelines.

While much of that has to do with pharma's printed communications, perhaps the biggest opportunity comes in interpreting the ethos and execution of health literacy for broadcast TV. "Industry-wide, most of the money—billions of dollars—is being spent on DTC broadcast advertising, which focuses on the exact audience that is having the toughest time figuring out what's going on with their healthcare," says Snow. "That is where the people who are the least health literate are going for their information."

Jessica DiPaolo is manager of strategic services at HealthEd. She can be reached at j.dipaolo@healthed.com