Episode 219 – Health Literacy is Key to Better Patient Outcomes

The Big Unlock · Greg O’Neill, Director, Patient & Family Health Education, ChristianaCare In this episode, Greg O’Neill, Director of Patient & Family Health Education at ChristianaCare, explores why effective communication is one of the most overlooked drivers of better healthcare outcomes. Drawing on his experience as an ICU nurse and health system leader, Greg explains that health literacy is not simply about providing information, it is about ensuring patients truly understand their care and feel confident acting on it. Greg shares how ChristianaCare is embedding health literacy into patient education, medication management, and clinical workflows by using plain language, personalized content, and technology that supports rather than disrupts caregivers. He also discusses AI’s potential to break down fragmented care by connecting information across systems, reducing cognitive burden for patients, and guiding them through increasingly complex healthcare journeys. Greg encourages healthcare leaders to adopt a health literacy lens when evaluating digital tools and transformation initiatives. He argues that the greatest value comes when technology strengthens human connection, builds trust, and helps patients achieve better outcomes through clearer communication. Take a listen. This guest appearance was facilitated through conversations initiated at HIMSS.