Editor's Welcome

Abstract

Tēnā koutou katoa and welcome to Issue 35 of Te Hautaka o ngā Akongā Rongoā, the New Zealand Medical Student Journal (NZMSJ). The theme of this issue is “Health Literacy”, which has become an increasingly important topic for medical professionals and the general public alike. It is our great privilege to share with our readers the insightful and high-quality articles by authors both domestic and abroad. The health literacy of both the medical workforce and the general public is crucial to successful patient-centred healthcare. Health literacy is not solely understanding the pathophysiology of a disease, but also the changing dynamics of one’s health amongst other bi- opsychosocial factors. Health professionals are not by nature more “health-literate” than patients, and it is dangerous for the patient-doctor relationship to assume the patient knows less. Health literacy has been associated with a myriad of factors, however, new frameworks of patient-centred care now focus on the role of health professionals in accommodating for and traversing the range of patient health understanding that they encounter. Clear communication between the two parties is arguably more important than the knowledge either holds.