This chapter discusses the notion of ‘bidirectional health literacy’ between the patient/care partner and the care team, and its impact on the quadruple aim: the care experience, population health, engagement, and the cost of care. It provides a brief historical perspective of the quadruple aim along with its relationships to value and health literacy. It overviews the responsibilities of health care organizations and highlights best practices, such as bidirectional care opportunities in patient-centered medical homes, with a focus on improving provider and care team communication.

The chapter’s aim is to provide a new bidirectional perspective on health literacy. It illuminates for readers that the focus of health literacy should not just be about patients’ understanding of and engagement in their own health and health care, but instead, a partnership where care teams become equally ‘literate’ about the patient/care partner, by learning what they value, the contextual and social determinants that impact their ability to engage in self-care, and by demonstrating cultural humility in all of their care efforts. Various models that support bidirectional literacy and care are provided.