An insight into the perception of community pharmacists on health literacy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mental health literacy (MHL) of British community pharmacists. Design/methodology/approach A survey instrument was sent by facsimile to a random sample of community pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. The survey instrument contained items concerning recognition of the symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the helpfulness of a range of interventions, mental health stigma and the degree of comfort providing pharmaceutical care to people with mental health problems. Findings Among community pharmacists (n=329) symptom recognition was high for depression but lower for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Pharmacists showed a preference for evidence-based interventions and support for psychological therapies and physical activity for all three mental health problems. Pharmacists expressed less comfort providing pharmacy services to people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression than cardiovascular disease. Mental health stigma was higher for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder than depression, with many pharmacists holding misperceptions about schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Practical implications The study findings indicate the need for enhanced mental health content in the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum which should challenge misperceptions of mental illness. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the MHL of British community pharmacists.

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The Role of Age, Education, and Digital Health Literacy in the Usability of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: Mixed Methods Study

JMIR Formative Research ◽

10.2196/12883 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. e12883 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rosalie van der Vaart ◽

Dorine van Driel ◽

Kristel Pronk ◽

Suzan Paulussen ◽

Selma te Boekhorst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Educational Level ◽

Digital Health ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Performance Tasks ◽

Insight Into

Background Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) can be effective in mental and somatic health care. Research on the feasibility of internet interventions in clinical practice is, however, still scarce. Studies with a focus on the patient regarding usability of interventions and digital health literacy skills are especially lacking. Objective The goal of this study was to assess the usability of an iCBT for chronic pain, Master Your Pain, and the relationship between its usability outcomes and the factors age, educational level, and digital health literacy skills. The aims were to determine what changes were needed in the program for sufficient usability and which individual characteristics were related to the usability of the program. Methods Patients were recruited from two mental health care practices. A mixed methods approach was used in this study. A qualitative observational study comprising performance tasks in the iCBT program was used to test usability. A quantitative questionnaire was used to measure possible related constructs. Usability was operationalized as the number of tasks that could be completed and the type and number of problems that occurred while doing so. Performance tasks were set up to measure 6 digital skills: (1) operating the computer and internet browser, (2) navigation and orientation, (3) using search strategies, (4) evaluating relevance of content, (5) adding personal content, and (6) protecting and respecting privacy. Participants were asked to think aloud while performing the tasks, and screen activities and webcam recordings were captured. The qualitative observational data was coded using inductive analysis by two independent researchers. Correlational analyses were performed to test how usability relates to sociodemographics and digital health literacy. Results A total of 32 patients participated, with a mean age of 49.9 years and 84% (27/32) being female. All performance tasks except one (fill in a diary registration) could be completed independently by more than 50% of the participants. On operational, navigation, and search levels, participants struggled most with logging in, logging out, and finding specific parts of the intervention. Half of the sample experienced problems evaluating the relevance and adding content to the program to some extent. Usability correlated moderately negatively with age and moderately positively with digital health literacy skills but not with educational level. Conclusions The results provide insight into what is essential for proper usability regarding the design of an iCBT program considering variations in age, educational level, and digital health literacy. Furthermore, the results provide insight into what type of support is needed by patients to properly use the intervention. Tailoring support among the needs of certain age groups or skill levels could be beneficial and could range from no extra support (only online feedback, as intended) to practical support (an additional usability introduction session) to blended care (combined face-to-face sessions throughout the therapy).

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How is Patients' Awareness of Health Literacy Problems Related to Their Utilization of Community Pharmacists' Counseling Services?

Iryo Yakugaku (Japanese Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences) ◽

10.5649/jjphcs.37.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Chisato Shimanoe ◽

Kazuhiro Hirano ◽

Yukitaka Nakano ◽

Keitaro Tanaka ◽

Hiroshi Fujito

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Counseling Services

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Cognitive Interviews: Testing the Digital Health Literacy Instrument (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17856 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eunhee Park ◽

Misol Kwon

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Content Validity ◽

Digital Health ◽

Cognitive Interviews ◽

Thinking Aloud ◽

Web Based ◽

Response Options ◽

Digital Devices ◽

Device Use ◽

Insight Into

BACKGROUND Despite the increasing number of youth seeking health information on the internet, few studies have been conducted to measure digital health literacy in this population. Digital Health Literacy Instruments (DHLI) is defined as a scale that measures the ability to operate digital devices, and read and write in online-based modes; it assesses seven sub-constructs: operational skills, navigation skills, evaluating reliability, determining relevance, adding self-generated content to a web-based app, and protecting and respecting privacy. Currently, there has been no validation process for adolescents on this instrument yet. OBJECTIVE To explore the usability and content validity of DHLIs. METHODS Upon the approval of IRB protocol, cognitive interviews were conducted. Thirty-four adolescents aged 10-18 years old (50% female) participated in individual cognitive interviews. Two rounds of concurrent cognitive interviews were conducted to measure the content validity of DHLI utilizing the ‘thinking aloud’ method and probing questions. RESULTS Major issues of comprehension and communication including unclear wording, undefined technical terms, vague terms, and difficult vocabularies were identified. Problems related to potentially inappropriate assumptions were also identified. In addition, concerns related to recall bias with unclear reference periods, and bias by measuring socially uncommon phenomena were raised. No issue regarding response options or instrument instructions were noted. CONCLUSIONS The initial round of interviews provided potential resolution to the identified problems with comprehension and communication, while the second round prompted improvement in content validity. More work needs to be conducted to address issues related to inappropriate assumptions or bias when Internet and digital device use are considered uncommon phenomena among adolescents. Dual rounds of cognitive interviews provided substantial insight into survey interpretation when introduced to US adolescents. This validation study suggests revision points for assessing adolescent digital health literacy.

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6.4-O6Astonishing new insight into the relationship between health literacy and health practices of adolescents with Turkish migration background in Germany

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/cky047.221 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Z Islertas ◽

U Bittlingmayer

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Migration Background ◽

Health Practices ◽

The Relationship ◽

Insight Into

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Perceptions of Independent Pharmacist Prescribing among Health Authority- and Community-Based Pharmacists in Northern British Columbia

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy9020092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 92

Author(s):

Jordan Lewis ◽

Arden R. Barry ◽

Katie Bellefeuille ◽

Robert T. Pammett

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Health Authority ◽

Online Survey ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Collaborative Practice ◽

Regulatory Body ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pharmacist Prescribing ◽

Insight Into

Pharmacists across Canada have varying degrees of ability to prescribe medications depending on their jurisdiction of licensure. The purpose of this study was to the evaluate attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of independent pharmacist prescribing among health authority- and community-based pharmacists. This prospective, cross-sectional online survey assessed the perceptions of independent pharmacist prescribing of health authority and community pharmacists practising in northern British Columbia (BC), which was defined as within the geographical boundaries of Northern Health. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and a regression analysis. There were 45 respondents to the survey: 22 community pharmacists and 23 health authority pharmacists. Both community and health authority pharmacists held positive perceptions of independent pharmacist prescribing and did not identify any barriers to incorporating independent pharmacist prescribing into their practice. Respondents were highly likely to apply for independent pharmacist prescribing authority, if available. Pharmacists in BC are currently not able to independently prescribe schedule I medications. The provincial regulatory body has proposed a framework for a Certified Pharmacist Prescriber designation, which if approved would allow pharmacists to prescribe in collaborative practice settings. This study provides some insight into the perception of pharmacists in northern BC in pursuing this designation, which may be valuable for planning purposes in case of adoption of the framework. These results are also likely applicable to other non-urban practice settings in Canada. Pharmacists in northern BC perceived independent pharmacist prescribing positively and a high proportion were likely to apply for this authority if it were permitted via legislation.

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