National and international health literacy assessments have revealed that approximately 40–60% of American and Canadian adults have low health literacy.

Individuals with low health literacy are often dissatisfied with the quality of care they receive and are more likely to distrust their healthcare providers and the medical system. Consequently, they are less likely to utilize preventive health services and have an increased risk of emergency care use, hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. This white paper aims to educate healthcare providers on health literacy and provide them with strategies to better support their patients with low health literacy.
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Authors

Natacha Montpellier, ND

Medical Science Liaison

Dr. Natacha Montpellier is a registered naturopathic doctor in Ontario, Canada. She currently maintains a private clinical practice focused on hormonal and reproductive health. Dr. Natacha, ND, also serves as a Medical Science Liaison on Fullscript’s Medical Advisory team.

Christopher Knee, ND, MSc

Medical Education Manager

Dr. Christopher Knee is a naturopathic doctor, clinical researcher, and natural health and wellness expert from Ottawa, Canada. As the research and education manager for Fullscript’s Integrative Medical Advisory team, he oversees research projects and the development of medical education content for practitioners and patients across North America. He completed Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Guelph in human kinetics and human biology and nutritional sciences, respectively, and naturopathic training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. He's passionate about evidence-informed practice, patient education, health services research, and natural medicines. He has almost 15 years of academic, industry, and advisory experience, having worked with various organizations, including The Ottawa Hospital, the Ottawa Police Service, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Nordion, and Pfizer.

Alex Keller, ND

Medical Director

Dr. Alex Keller is a licensed and practicing naturopathic doctor in Ottawa, Canada and the medical director at Fullscript. As medical director, he oversees the Integrative Medical Advisory team (IMAT) and the development of educational content for practitioners across North America. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with an HBSc in Health Sciences and Psychology. Although originally planning to attend conventional medical school, Dr. Keller shifted direction and completed a degree in naturopathic medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. The shift followed a three-month internship at a rural Kenyan hospital where he worked with doctors who used local food to successfully treat patients, after which he felt compelled to practice a diet-oriented system of medicine. Today, he splits his time working for Fullscript, seeing patients, and developing an innovative regenerative farming operation. He lives with his wife Jenn and their two children on a 50-acre farm outside Ottawa.