Bridging the communication gap: What do primary healthcare practitioners in New Zealand know about health literacy? What are their attitudes towards it, and how do they implement any internationally developed health literacy tools?

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.26686/wgtn.17007664.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Jane Thomsen

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Informed Choice ◽

Healthcare Outcomes ◽

Health Educator ◽

Health Consumer ◽

Concept Of Health ◽

Online Health Education ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Health Education Materials

<p>Health Literacy has been identified internationally as an important component of health equity. As a health consumer, being health literate includes having the ability to make an informed choice about health. As a healthcare provider or health educator, being health literate is having the ability to enable the consumer to become fully informed, even if there are barriers that complicate or hamper this ability. Many health literacy tools have been developed to support clinicians, including those in primary care, in communicating effectively with their patients. When properly utilised, these tools have the potential to improve the health outcomes of their patients and also to reduce health system costs. The literature produced about health literacy has seen exponential growth, especially over the last eight years, due to increased recognition of its contribution to better healthcare outcomes. This research examined whether General Practitioners (GPs) in New Zealand were aware of health literacy concepts and the specific tools that have been developed, and whether they were utilising them. Although some health literacy tools and strategies are being implemented by GPs, they are not necessarily realising this, as their concept of health literacy seems to be focused on the general literacy level of their patients. Health literacy tools identified tended to be in the form of print and online health education materials.</p>

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Bridging the communication gap: What do primary healthcare practitioners in New Zealand know about health literacy? What are their attitudes towards it, and how do they implement any internationally developed health literacy tools?

10.26686/wgtn.17007664 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Jane Thomsen

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Informed Choice ◽

Healthcare Outcomes ◽

Health Educator ◽

Health Consumer ◽

Concept Of Health ◽

Online Health Education ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Health Education Materials

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Using an Intervention Adapted to the Health Literacy Level to Improve Adherence to Medical Recommendations

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct03951467 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Medical Recommendations

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Assessing the health literacy level of parents in School children Ilam in 2015

Journal of Nursing Education ◽

10.21859/jne-05068 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (6) ◽

pp. 53-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mosayeb Mozafari ◽

Milad Borji

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

School Children ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Literacy Level

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Malaysian Health Literacy: Scorecard Performance from a National Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115813 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5813

Author(s):

Norrafizah Jaafar ◽

Komathi Perialathan ◽

Manimaran Krishnan ◽

Nurashma Juatan ◽

Masitah Ahmad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Population Based ◽

Average Score ◽

Future Health ◽

Limited Health Literacy ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Prevention And Health Promotion ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Limited Health

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.

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Using the Brief Health Literacy Screen in Chronic Care in French Hospital Settings: Content Validity of Patient and Healthcare Professional Reports

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010096 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 96

Author(s):

Adèle Perrin ◽

Luiza Siqueira do Prado ◽

Amélie Duché ◽

Anne-Marie Schott ◽

Alexandra L. Dima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Content Validity ◽

Chronic Care ◽

Routine Care ◽

Related Information ◽

Concept Of Health ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Centered Care ◽

Health Related ◽

French Hospital

Person-centered care has led healthcare professionals (HCPs) to be more attentive to patients’ ability to understand and apply health-related information, especially those with chronic conditions. The concept of health literacy (HL) is essential in understanding patients’ needs in routine care, but its measurement is still controversial, and few tools are validated in French. We therefore considered the brief health literacy screen (BHLS) for assessing patient-reported HL in chronic care settings, and also developed an HCP-reported version of the BHLS with the aim of using it as a research instrument to assess HCPs’ evaluation of patients’ HL levels. We assessed the content validity of the French translation of both the patient-reported and HCP-reported BHLS in chronic care within hospital settings, through cognitive interviews with patients and HCPs. We performed qualitative analysis on interview data using the survey response Tourangeau model. Our results show that the BHLS is easy and quick to administer, but some terms need to be adapted to the French chronic care settings. Health-related information was observed to be mainly communicated orally, hence a useful direction for future literacy measures would be to also address verbal HL.

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A survey of clinicians on the use of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology, dermatology, radiology and radiation oncology

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84698-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jane Scheetz ◽

Philip Rothschild ◽

Myra McGuinness ◽

Xavier Hadoux ◽

H. Peter Soyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

New Zealand ◽

Radiation Oncology ◽

Online Survey ◽

New Technology ◽

Medical Liability ◽

Healthcare Outcomes ◽

Medical Workforce ◽

Artificial Intelligence Technology ◽

Workforce Needs

AbstractArtificial intelligence technology has advanced rapidly in recent years and has the potential to improve healthcare outcomes. However, technology uptake will be largely driven by clinicians, and there is a paucity of data regarding the attitude that clinicians have to this new technology. In June–August 2019 we conducted an online survey of fellows and trainees of three specialty colleges (ophthalmology, radiology/radiation oncology, dermatology) in Australia and New Zealand on artificial intelligence. There were 632 complete responses (n = 305, 230, and 97, respectively), equating to a response rate of 20.4%, 5.1%, and 13.2% for the above colleges, respectively. The majority (n = 449, 71.0%) believed artificial intelligence would improve their field of medicine, and that medical workforce needs would be impacted by the technology within the next decade (n = 542, 85.8%). Improved disease screening and streamlining of monotonous tasks were identified as key benefits of artificial intelligence. The divestment of healthcare to technology companies and medical liability implications were the greatest concerns. Education was identified as a priority to prepare clinicians for the implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare. This survey highlights parallels between the perceptions of different clinician groups in Australia and New Zealand about artificial intelligence in medicine. Artificial intelligence was recognized as valuable technology that will have wide-ranging impacts on healthcare.

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Communicative health literacy in patients with non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Tropical Medicine and Health ◽

10.1186/s41182-021-00345-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Desalew Tilahun ◽

Abebe Abera ◽

Gugsa Nemera

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Communicable Diseases ◽

Source Population ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Non Communicable Diseases ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Literacy Level

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.

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Preoperative bariatric surgery programme barriers facing Pacific patients in Auckland, New Zealand as perceived by health sector professionals: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029525 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. e029525

Author(s):

Tamasin Taylor ◽

Wendy Wrapson ◽

Ofa Dewes ◽

Nalei Taufa ◽

Richard J Siegert

Keyword(s):

Bariatric Surgery ◽

New Zealand ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Sector ◽

Publicly Funded ◽

Attrition Rates ◽

Pacific Health ◽

Emotional Safety ◽

Minority Ethnic

Minority ethnic patient groups typically have the highest bariatric surgery preoperative attrition rates and lowest surgery utilisation worldwide. Eligible patients of Pacific Island ethnicity (Pacific patients) in New Zealand (NZ) follow this wider trend.ObjectivesThe present study explored structural barriers contributing to Pacific patients’ disproportionately high preoperative attrition rates from publicly-funded bariatric surgery in Auckland, NZ.SettingPublicly-funded bariatric surgery programmes based in the wider Auckland area, NZ.DesignSemi-structured interviews with health sector professionals (n=21) were conducted.Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach.ResultsTwo primary themes were identified: (1) Confidence negotiating the medical system, which included Emotional safety in clinical settings and Relating to non-Pacific health professionals and (2) Appropriate support to achieve preoperative goals, which included Cultural considerations, Practical support and Relating health information. Clinical environments and an under-representation of Pacific staff were considered to be barriers to developing emotional safety, trust and acceptance of the surgery process with patients and their families. Additionally, economic deprivation and lower health literacy impacted preoperative goals.ConclusionsHealth professionals’ accounts indicated that Pacific patients face substantial levels of disconnection in bariatric surgery programmes. Increasing representation of Pacific ethnicity by employing more Pacific health professionals in bariatric teams and finding novel solutions to implement preoperative programme components have the potential to reduce this disconnect. Addressing cultural competency of staff, increasing consultancy times and working in community settings may enable staff to better support Pacific patients and their families. Programme structures could be more accommodating to practical barriers of attending appointments, managing patients’ preoperative health goals and improving patients’ health literacy. Given that Pacific populations, and other patients from minority ethnic backgrounds living globally, also face high rates of obesity and barriers accessing bariatric surgery, our findings are likely to have broader applicability.

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Instructions for masking the taste of medication for children

Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada ◽

10.1177/1715163516669383 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 150 (1) ◽

pp. 52-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Régis Vaillancourt ◽

Yen Truong ◽

Shazya Karmali ◽

Amanda Kraft ◽

Selina Manji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Health Literacy ◽

School Health ◽

Clinical Impact ◽

Pediatric Hospital ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Short Term ◽

Low Health Literacy ◽

Health Literacy Level ◽

Literacy Level

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.

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