scholarly journals 4020 Impact of Patients’ Health Literacy Level on Patients’ Health Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 137-137
Author(s):  
Dae Hyun Kim ◽  
Larry Hearld ◽  
William Opoku-Aygeman

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between gastro-intestinal (GI) patients’ health literacy levels and patients’ health outcomes (length of stay, readmission, complication). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A research team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) ‘s Gastro-Intestinal (GI) surgical department collected inpatient GI patients’ health literacy data by distributing the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BRIEF) survey to patients are about to be discharged. Patients’ health outcomes data were gathered through Business Objects, an online platform that allows physicians and researchers to access and gather patients’ medical information with an IRB approval. After accounting for necessary control variables, logistic regression and multiple linear regression models will be run to assess whether there is a significant relationship between patients’ health literacy levels and patients’ health outcomes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Three specific hypotheses are proposed in this study. H1: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their lengths of stay H2: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their readmission status to the hospital H3: GI patients’ health literacy levels will be negatively associated with their complication status to the hospital DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This study allows us to further our understanding of patients’ health literacy level and its’ relationship with important health outcomes. By looking at a variety of diverse health outcomes, the impact of a patients’ health literacy level on that patients’ health outcomes will be observed more clearly.

Author(s):  
Soupriye B. Zibima ◽  
Kingsley Ennag ◽  
Juliet Imawaigha Oniso ◽  
Eunice B. Moses

Background: Health literacy data is critical for enhancing self-care abilities and improving healthcare outcomes. However, information on health literacy level in rural Bayelsa, Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, is dearth. Objective of the study was to determine health literacy level of rural dwellers utilizing the services of Primary Healthcare Centers in rural Bayelsa.Methods: A total of 800 participants were randomly selected through multistage sampling procedure in a cross-sectional survey. Demographic data assessment questionnaire and the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics was done to obtain summaries of demographic and health literacy data while independent samples t-test, and one-way between group analysis of covariance was conducted to determine area-based differences in health literacy scores and the impact of frequency of health center visit on participants’ health literacy scores, respectively.Results: Health literacy assessment showed that, 570 (71.25%) participants had limited health literacy; 142 (17.75%) had marginal health literacy, and 88 (11.00%) had adequate health literacy. Health literacy scores were significantly higher in the upland (M=22.08, SD=8.64), than riverine areas of rural Bayelsa (M=18.66, SD=8.46; t (800)=8.02, p=0.00, 2-tailed). Frequency of health center visit significantly accounted for 20% of the variance in participants’ health literacy scores (F (2, 796) = 95.72, p=0.00, eta squared=0.20)).Conclusions: Health literacy level is low, and indicates a public health emergency. Rural educational development and modification of rural healthcare communication pattern may reduce health illiteracy and its attendant effect.


Author(s):  
Suhaib M Muflih ◽  
Hadeel N Bashir ◽  
Yousef S Khader ◽  
Reema A Karasneh

Abstract Although health literacy practices have been increasingly recommended in public health literature, there is a lack of studies that examine the relationships between health literacy and self-medication. Background This research project aims to measure and evaluate the impact of health literacy on self-medication and to achieve a better understating of patients’ behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional approach was conducted and participants were recruited outpatient clinics through convenience sampling. Health literacy was measured by Single Item Literacy Screener. Results A total of 194 participants agreed to participate (63.9% were females). The results showed that more than half (57.2%) had adequate health literacy. Almost 30% of the participants were over the age of 50. The prevalence of self-medication was 74.2%. Nearly, two-thirds of the total participants reported self-administration of antibiotics. There was a significant relationship between the overall health literacy level and practice of self-medication. Conclusions Improving the health literacy level of the public can reduce inappropriate self-medication, especially the self-medication with antibiotics, which represented a high prevalence situation in our sample. Appropriate reading skills are important for accessing health information, using health care services, and achieving desirable health outcomes.


Physiotherapy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-353
Author(s):  
Laura M. Mackey ◽  
Catherine Blake ◽  
Maire-Brid Casey ◽  
Camillus K. Power ◽  
Ray Victory ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Norrafizah Jaafar ◽  
Komathi Perialathan ◽  
Manimaran Krishnan ◽  
Nurashma Juatan ◽  
Masitah Ahmad ◽  
...  

Health literacy is an indicator of a society’s ability to make better health judgements for themselves and the people around them. This study investigated the prevalence of health literacy among Malaysian adults and provided an overall picture of the society’s current health literacy status, which has not been previously assessed. The study also highlighted socio-demographic markers of communities with limited health literacy that may warrant future intervention. A population-based self-administered survey using the Health Literacy Survey Malaysian Questionnaire18 (HLS-M-Q18) instrument was conducted as part of the National Health Morbidity Survey 2019 in Malaysia. The nationwide survey utilized a two-staged stratified random sampling method. A sample of 9478 individuals aged 18 and above, drawn from the living quarter list, participated in the study. The health literacy score was divided into three levels; limited, sufficient, and excellent. Findings showed a majority of the Malaysian population had a sufficient health literacy level in all three domains—healthcare, diseases prevention and health promotion (49.1%, 44.2%, and 47.5%, respectively)—albeit leaning towards the lower end of the category with an average score of 35.5. The limited health literacy groups were prevalent among respondents with older age (68%), lower education level (64.8%), and lower household income (49.5%). The overall health literacy status for Malaysia was categorized at a lower sufficiency level. Future health literacy improvements should focus on communities with a limited health literacy level to improve the overall score.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desalew Tilahun ◽  
Abebe Abera ◽  
Gugsa Nemera

Abstract Background Health literacy plays a prominent role in empowering individuals for prevention as well as management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is paucity of information on the health literacy of patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess communicative health literacy and associated factors in patients with NCDs on follow-up at Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from 4 May 2020 to 4 July 2020 with 408 randomly selected adult patients, attending outpatient department of JMC in Ethiopia. The final sample size was obtained by using single population proportion formula. All patients with NCDs who were on follow-up at chronic illness clinic, JMC, were used as a source population. All eligible patients with NCDs who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this study. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data were collected through structured interviewer administered questionnaires on the six of nine health literacy domains using Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) containing 30 items, socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, disease-related factors, and health information sources. Multivariable logistic regression was executed to determine the associations. Result Descriptive analysis shows more than half of the respondents in four of the six health literacy domains had high communicative health literacy level (CHLL). The proportion of people with high CHLL across each of the domains was as follows: health care provider support (56.1%), social support for health (53.7%), active engagement with a healthcare provider (56.1%), and navigating healthcare system (53.4%). We found educational status was significantly associated with five of six health literacy domains whereas number of sources was associated with four of six health literacy domains. Conclusion The overall findings of the current study indicate that health literacy levels vary according to socio-demographic and disease characteristics of patients. Thus, healthcare professionals should assess patients’ health literacy level and tailor information and support to the health literacy skills and personal context of their patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Régis Vaillancourt ◽  
Yen Truong ◽  
Shazya Karmali ◽  
Amanda Kraft ◽  
Selina Manji ◽  
...  

Background: Medications that taste unpleasant can be a struggle to administer to children, most often resulting in low adherence rates. Pictograms can be useful tools to improve adherence by conveying information to patients in a way that they will understand. Methods: One-on-one structured interviews were conducted with parents/guardians and with children between the ages of 9 and 17 years at a pediatric hospital. The questionnaire evaluated the comprehension of 12 pictogram sets that described how to mask the taste of medications for children. Pictograms understood by >85% of participants were considered validated. Short-term recall was assessed by asking participants to recall the meaning of each pictogram set. Results: There were 51 participants in the study—26 (51%) were children aged 9 to 17 years and 25 (49%) were parents or guardians. Most children (54%) had health literacy levels of grade 10 or higher. Most parents and guardians (92%) had at least a high school health literacy level. Six of the 12 pictogram sets (50%) were validated. Eleven of 12 pictogram sets (92%) had a median translucency score greater than 5. All 12 pictogram sets (100%) were correctly identified at short-term recall and were therefore validated. Conclusion: The addition of validated illustrations to pharmaceutical labels can be useful to instruct on how to mask the taste of medication in certain populations. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical impact of providing illustrated information to populations with low health literacy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26.e1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Porter ◽  
Yvonnes Chen ◽  
Paul Estabrooks ◽  
Lauren Noel ◽  
Angela Bailey ◽  
...  

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