The U.S. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy: A Model for Positive Organizational Change.

This chapter presents the U.S. National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and its unique contribution to public health and health care in the U.S. The chapter details what the National Action Plan is, how it evolved, and how it has influenced priorities for health literacy improvement work. Examples of how the National Action Plan fills policy and research gaps in health care and public health are included. The first part of the chapter lays the foundation for the development of the National Action Plan, and the second part discusses how it can stimulate positive organizational change to help create health literate organizations and move the nation towards a health literate society.

Colonic perforation as a late complication of self-expanding stent.

Self-expanding metal stents are used to relieve left-sided colonic obstruction either as a palliative measure or as a bridge to surgery. While there are definite advantages, the procedure does have significant complications, perforation of bowel being the most common with significant morbidity and mortality. A case of late perforation due to colonic stent erosion is presented.