'I Didn't Know That in the Background They Write Reports About Me': Understanding the Health Literacy Implications of Allied Health Reports through the Experiences of People With Lifelong Communication Disability.

What is already known on the subject Health literacy involves the ability to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information in the context of individual and environmental barriers and facilitators. People with lifelong communication disability have not adequately been included in health literacy research to date and are underrepresented in research into allied health reports. What this paper adds to existing knowledge People with lifelong communication disability do not always receive a copy of their allied health reports. When they do, reading these reports can be a personal and emotional experience. People with lifelong communication disability want to access and understand their reports. People with lifelong communication disability also want trusting relationships with allied health professionals where they can give feedback on reports for more accurate representations of themselves. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Allied health professionals should support the health literacy of people with lifelong communication disability. They need to build and maintain trusting relationships with their clients, provide access to reports, and listen to feedback on the reports so that people with lifelong communication disability can understand and use their own report to achieve their goals.