Health Literacy in Medical Decision Making

An individual's health literacy skills are crucial for healthcare-related decisions. In medical decision-making, health literacy is essential because patients' ability to understand information simultaneously improves patient satisfaction, comprehension of therapy, and the overall quality of medical services. This research aims to identify and deeply understand the relationship between health literacy and an individual's ability to make appropriate medical decisions. It employs a Systematic Literature Review following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, using secondary data from journals sourced via Google Scholar (2020–2025). The retrieved journals underwent selection based on inclusion criteria during research coding and quality assessment stages. Those passing selection were analyzed descriptively, yielding 11 qualifying journals. The findings indicate that health literacy empowers patients by enabling them to access, understand, and use health information for better decisions, thereby shifting power dynamics away from providers. Strong health literacy fosters active patient participation in medical decisions, enhancing satisfaction and reducing conflicts. However, health literacy is not the sole determinant of positive health outcomes; factors such as economic conditions, environment, education, and emotions also play significant roles. Recommendations for future research include exploring the relationship between health literacy and power dynamics, incorporating demographic variables, as well as ethical and legal considerations in Indonesia.