Development of a healthcare literacy semester-long course in a large private university: a brief report

Objectives: To describe the development and content of a comprehensive healthcare literacy course for transition-aged adolescents in university settings. Description: We developed a healthcare literacy course at Boston University (BU) for the fall of 2025 semester in conjunction with the university’s Student Health Services offered as a 0-credit pass/fail Hub cocurricular offering students a general education requirement. The 14-week experience covered topics including but not limited to health insurance, medical emergency navigation, electronic medical record access, patient legal rights, and more. Discussion: When designing strategies to promote healthcare literacy among adolescents on university campuses, we recommend highlighting the benefit of partnering with student health services and offering general education requirements to attract student enrollment. Conclusion: Healthcare literacy levels among university students is generally inadequate. Introducing formal courses in educational settings will nurture students’ abilities to navigate the healthcare system and take better care of their health.