What does it mean to be health literate in today’s fast-paced, information-driven world? How do you distinguish science fact from science fiction in an age of misinformation?
Health literacy refers to the ability of people to get, process, understand, and use basic health information and services to make informed decisions about their health. It includes knowing how to describe symptoms, where to find help for health issues, how to understand medical information and how to manage the use of medication safely.
Increasing health literacy is essential to empowering people to manage their health and advocate for their well-being and that of their families, as well as reducing the burden on Canada’s healthcare system. Yet nearly 60 per cent of Canadians aged 16 and older do not have the minimum health literacy levels needed to understand the health information they receive. The statistics are even worse for Canadian seniors, with more than 80 per cent having poor health literacy levels.
Bridging Minds: Health & Science Conversations is a partnership between Women’s College Hospital and Toronto Public Library (TPL), the busiest urban public library in the world, dedicated to promoting health and science literacy within our communities. Through monthly, one-hour expert-led virtual sessions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of key health and science concepts, learn how to navigate the digital landscape for reliable information, and actively engage with scientific knowledge for informed decision-making.
All talks are delivered virtually by TPL and will support a broad range of critical issues affecting their lives. The first set of talks are listed below. Further events will be added throughout the year.
Visit the TPL website for more information about Toronto Public Library, programming and events.
Upcoming Webinars
Do you Speak Health? An Introduction to Health and Science Literacy
- Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET
- FREE
Join us for the first session of the Bridging Minds: Health & Science Conversations series.
In this interactive session, Dr. Rulan Parekh, clinician-scientist and Vice President of Academics at Women’s College Hospital, will help you:
- Understand the importance of health and science literacy in everyday life
- Develop tools to better understand and engage with scientific concepts
- Gain insights to help you make informed decisions about your health
Focus on Health: Understanding Chronic Pain: Current Treatments, Challenges, and the Road Ahead
- Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET
- FREE
Chronic pain affects millions of people, but what exactly is it?
In this talk, Dr. Karim Ladha, anesthesiologist and chronic pain physician and Rachael Bosma, PhD, scientist, will explain what chronic pain is and how it is different from the pain you feel immediately after an injury. Discussions will include:
- Current treatments – like medications and therapies, and why these treatments do not always work for everyone
- Why more research into chronic pain is urgently needed
- What we are working on to transform chronic pain management for the future
This presentation is for anyone who wants to understand chronic pain and how we can work together to improve care.