Health literacy

Various components of drug use in the elderly are worth noting. Problems with health literacy (i.e., the understanding of medical... 

Jorm, A.F., Korten, A.E., Jacomb, P.A., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B., and Pollitt P. Mental health literacy a survey of the public s ability to tecognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Med J Aust 166 182-186. 

According a report published by the American Medical Association Ad Hoc Committee on Health Literacy, more than 40 percent of patients with chronic illnesses are functionally illiterate, and almost a quarter of all adult Americans read at or below a fifth grade level. Unfortunately, medical information leaflets typically are written at or above a tenth grade reading level. It is estimated that low health literacy skills have increased our annual health care expenditures by 73 billion. Further contributing to the dilemma is the fact that an estimated three-quarters of patients throw out the medication leaflet stapled to the prescription bag without reading it, and only one-half of all patients take their medications as directed (AMA, 1999). 

American Medical Association (AMA), Ad Hoc Committee on Health Literacy for the Council on Scientific Affairs. 1999. Health literacy Report of the Council on Scientific Affairs. JAMA 281 552. 

Responding to the Challenge of Health Literacy. The Pfizer Journal. Spring 1998 2(1) 1-37. 

Inadequate health literacy skills have been shown to adversely affect the management of a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. For example, in a study of hospitalized patients, 49% of patients with hypertension and 44% of those with diabetes were found to have inadequate health literacy. In that study, as many as 50% of patients did not understand how many times a prescription should be refilled. After examining a standard appointment slip, up to 33% could not describe when a follow-up appointment was scheduled. 

People with low health literacy may not understand the health risks associated with errors in medication management. Shame or embarrassment about their low literacy may deter them from seeking help with medication instructions. Pharmacists can assess health literacy using nonobtrusive screening tests such as the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), which is available in English and Spanish versions. This test includes items that assess the patient s ability to understand labeled prescription vials, blood glucose test results, clinic appointment slips, and financial information forms. 

Williams, M.V. Baker, D.W. Parker, R.M., et al. Relationship of functional health literacy to patient s knowledge of their chronic disease A study of patients with hypertension and diabetes. Arch. Intern. Med. 1998, 158 (2), 166-172. 

Nurss, J.R. Parker, R.M. Williams, M.V., et al. Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) Georgia State University and Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia, 1995. 

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health [1],... 

Institute of Medicine, editor. Health literacy a prescription to end confusion. Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences 2004. 

Byrd, J., Thompson, L., "It s Safe to Ask" Promoting Patient Safety through Health Literacy, Healthcare Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2008, pp. 91-94. 

The nature of interactions between patients and outpatient providers can also contribute to adverse events. Circnmstances can limit face-to-face interaction between a provider and a patient. Patients then shonld assume a much greater role in and responsibility for managing their own health. This elevates the importance of patient education to ensure that patients understand their illnesses and treatments. Medication errors can occur due to a patient s understanding of the indication, dosing schedule, proper administration, and potential side effects of a drug. Low health literacy and poor patient education contribute to increased error risks. Patients should understand how and when to contact their caregivers outside of routine appointments. 

To achieve critical health literacy, teaching approaches should build an individual s capacity to distinguish fact from opinion and to analyze healfli information carefully (Nutbeam, 1999). Teaching about the NOS could probably bridge the skills of science and critical health literacy - especially for students of the HS. 

Nutbeam, D. (1999). Literacies across the lifespan Health literacy. Literacy and Numeracy Studies, 9 (2), 47 — 55. 

At link above link to CDC or use direct web address http //www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/. 

Audience>, <Risk Communication> and at link to and review the Simply Put document under the Health Literacy category. Since EHS pros are part of the public health workforce, spend the majority of your time checking out communication practices at this CDC site. 

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