Literacy is the basic understanding of written information and the ability to read and interpret basic written information. Most adults read at the fifth-grade level, and health information is written at or above the tenth-grade level. Even though 90 million (50%) adults read at or below the fifth-grade level, many adults have obtained higher levels of education. The general problem is that healthcare professionals must present health information to patients that is readable and understandable. The specific problem is to explore patients’ understanding of healthcare information provided by healthcare professionals and the impact of that understanding or lack of understanding on adult patients’ healthcare outcomes. A qualitative phenomenological method was used to examine the phenomenon at an acute care veterans’ hospital. The phenomenological data were analyzed employing a model created by Moustakas (1994) called “Modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Methods of Analysis of Phenomenological Data”. Four major themes and one sub-theme emerged from the analysis of the data. The themes included: Environment of Health Discussions, Patients Understanding Their Health Problems, Reading of Discharge Instructions, Lack of understanding of health information at discharge, and Highest Grade Level Asked At Admission. Through the analysis of data, multiple results emerged and clearly reflect the themes that emerged from the participant experiences. Some of the major themes consisted of patients gaining a better understand of their health problems and the information they are provided upon discharge. The patients need information that is straightforward and simple to understand. Through the participants lived experiences the importance was to identify healthcare staff teaching methods on how health information was presented on discharge. Several recommendations were directed to leadership to make the discharge process better for patients.