Testing the health literacy of twenty Bangladeshi patients before and 5 months after they begin to access their GP electronic record

BackgroundPatients with higher health literacy enjoy better health outcomes and are more compliant with treatment. Health literacy is a product of memory, reason and imagination. Patients who can access their records have potentially more memory (knowledge) and make less phone calls to and have less consultations with their GP, practice nurse, HCA and other professionals.AimThe study aims to measure the knowledge that twenty Bangladeshi patients with poor English have of their medical history before and after access to their electronic record.Method55% of patients at Thornley House have access to their medical records. A simple questionnaire was given to 20 Bangladeshi patients before and 5 months after access to their electronic record. The questionnaires recorded the patients’ knowledge of their medical histories. The scores of the completed before and after questionnaires were compared to see if record access had increased patients’ knowledge.ResultsFive patients completed before and after questionnaires. Each achieved a higher score after record access. The differences in scores for the five patients were 2, 5, 1, 10, and 1, respectively.ConclusionHealth literacy for patients is similar to medical literacy for doctors. It requires knowledge, skills and attitudes. We will see whether record access can increase knowledge. Further studies might measure whether that increased knowledge improves skills and attitudes.

Download Full-text

Irbesartan Substitution for Valsartan or Losartan in Treating Hypertension

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1345/aph.1c109 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 36 (12) ◽

pp. 1840-1844 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maqual R Graham ◽

Nicole M Allcock

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Medical Records ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Pressure Measurements ◽

Goal Blood Pressure ◽

P Values ◽

Assessment Visit ◽

Before And After ◽

Blood Pressures ◽

Medical Histories

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether subjects whose therapy was converted from losartan or valsartan to irbesartan maintained equivalent blood pressure measurements, determine the safety and tolerability of irbesartan in the veteran population, and assess the number of subjects attaining their goal blood pressure before and after conversion. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records for subjects whose antihypertensive was converted to irbesartan was conducted. Demographic data were collected, and subjects' past medical histories were used to determine their goal blood pressure. Blood pressures were compared at baseline, 2 weeks, and 2 months after conversion to determine efficacy, and adverse effect occurrence was compared between visits to assess safety. RESULTS: Conversion was attempted in 79 subjects; 72 met the criteria for review. Mean baseline, 2-week, and 2-month blood pressures for all subjects were 143/74, 139/72, and 139/73 mm Hg, respectively (p values NS). The number of subjects achieving their goal blood pressure at each assessment visit was similar: 37.5% at baseline, 43.4% at 2 weeks, and 31.9% at 2 months. Thirteen of the 72 subjects discontinued irbesartan due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Irbesartan is an appropriate substitution for valsartan or losartan.

Download Full-text

Electronic protocol for clinical data collection in chronic visceral ischemia

Jornal Vascular Brasileiro ◽

10.1590/1677-5449.006916 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 35-42

Author(s):

Adriana Buechner de Freitas Brandão ◽

Jorge Rufino Ribas Timi ◽

Osvaldo Malafaia

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Medical History ◽

Clinical Data ◽

Medical Records ◽

Storage Capacity ◽

Vascular Diseases ◽

Electronic Record ◽

Electronic Data Collection ◽

Visceral Ischemia ◽

High Information

Abstract Patients with vascular diseases present with a long medical history which makes for complex and confusing medical records. Electronic record systems have a large storage capacity and high information processing capabilities, and may therefore improve the quality and reliability of prospective clinical studies. In the present study, a theoretical framework for clinical data collection in chronic visceral ischemia was created containing 5706 items, organized into six major categories: medical history, physical examination, laboratory testing, diagnosis, treatment and outcome. The database was used to construct an electronic data collection protocol, which was uploaded into the Integrated Electronic Protocol System (Sistema Integrado de Protocolos Eletrônicos, SINPE©) and then used to perform retrospective collection and analysis of clinical data from 10 patients using the SINPE© analysis module.

Download Full-text

Participant Reactions to Suicide-Focused Research

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000650 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 367-374

Author(s):

Sarah P. Carter ◽

Brooke A. Ammerman ◽

Heather M. Gebhardt ◽

Jonathan Buchholz ◽

Mark A. Reger

Keyword(s):

Medical Records ◽

Research Study ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Small Sample ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Online Laboratory ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽

Before And After ◽

Participant Reactions

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

Download Full-text

Quick Guide to Health Literacy: Health Literacy and Health Outcomes

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e568202010-001 ◽

2013 ◽

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes

Download Full-text

How Valid are Patient Reports of Family History of Illness?

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1635275 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 19 (03) ◽

pp. 162-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rachel Harris ◽

W. Margaret ◽

Kathleen Hunter

Keyword(s):

Family History ◽

Medical History ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cause Of Death ◽

Death Certificate ◽

Recall Rate ◽

Patient Reports ◽

Small Subgroup ◽

History Of ◽

Medical Histories

The recall rate of patients’ family medical histories was studied in 200 cancer and non-cancer patients. Data on age and cause of death for parents and grandparents were collected. Although most patients knew the age and cause of death of parents, less than half knew for grandparents. Cancer patients had significantly greater recall for maternally related relatives. A subsample of patients’ family medical histories was compared to death certificate data. Patients’ reports were found to be highly inaccurate. Since only a small subgroup could provide medical history data for grandparents, the generaliz-ability for history of family illness is questioned.

Download Full-text

Understanding the Obstacles to Uptake of Intervention Programmes and Services for Persons with Dementia

Current Alzheimer Research ◽

10.2174/1567205017666200807192634 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 526-533

Author(s):

Ha N.H. Lien ◽

Emily J. Koh ◽

Philip L.K. Yap

Keyword(s):

Medical Records ◽

Cognitive Engagement ◽

Functional Improvement ◽

Related Factors ◽

Related Services ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Information Session ◽

Adequate Information ◽

Care At Home

Background: Utilisation of intervention programmes and services for Persons with Dementia (PWD) has been generally modest despite the growing numbers. One reason has been the lack of knowledge about dementia and information on such services. Objective: We sought to close this gap by providing caregivers with an information session about dementia and the importance and availability of related services. We explored the uptake of intervention programmes and services and reasons for non-uptake thereafter. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-five PWD and caregiver dyads attended the Dyad Education and Empowerment Programme (DEEP). At the DEEP, while caregivers underwent an information session, PWD were assessed by a multidisciplinary team on their need and suitability for programmes and services such as daycare, cognitive engagement programmes and physical rehabilitation. The dyads then received individualized recommendations on the appropriate services, if any. Follow-up through medical records review and phone calls was conducted one month after DEEP to ascertain if the dyads had acted upon the recommendations and if not, what difficulties they encountered. Results: One hundred and eleven PWD received recommendations, of which 40 (36.0%) agreed and enrolled in the services while 71 (64%) declined. Thematic analysis of the reasons for non-uptake revealed 3 themes: PWD-related factors (e.g., refusal, functional improvement or decline), caregiverrelated factors (adequacy of care at home, other care arrangements), and service-related factors (e.g., cost, timing). Conclusion: Despite adequate information, there are other reasons for non-uptake of dementia- related services, some of which should be addressed to improve service updates and to provide better care for PWD.

Download Full-text

The use of a Domain Ontology for the Management of Essential Hypertension (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25427 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emma Chavez ◽

Vanessa Perez ◽

Angélica Urrutia

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Essential Hypertension ◽

Medical History ◽

Medical Records ◽

Medical Training ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Domain Ontology ◽

Free Text ◽

Snomed Ct ◽

History Of

BACKGROUND : Currently, hypertension is one of the diseases with greater risk of mortality in the world. Particularly in Chile, 90% of the population with this disease has idiopathic or essential hypertension. Essential hypertension is characterized by high blood pressure rates and it´s cause is unknown, which means that every patient might requires a different treatment, depending on their history and symptoms. Different data, such as history, symptoms, exams, etc., are generated for each patient suffering from the disease. This data is presented in the patient’s medical record, in no order, making it difficult to search for relevant information. Therefore, there is a need for a common, unified vocabulary of the terms that adequately represent the diseased, making searching within the domain more effective. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to develop a domain ontology for essential hypertension , therefore arranging the more significant data within the domain as tool for medical training or to support physicians’ decision making will be provided. METHODS The terms used for the ontology were extracted from the medical history of de-identified medical records, of patients with essential hypertension. The Snomed-CT’ collection of medical terms, and clinical guidelines to control the disease were also used. Methontology was used for the design, classes definition and their hierarchy, as well as relationships between concepts and instances. Three criteria were used to validate the ontology, which also helped to measure its quality. Tests were run with a dataset to verify that the tool was created according to the requirements. RESULTS An ontology of 310 instances classified into 37 classes was developed. From these, 4 super classes and 30 relationships were obtained. In the dataset tests, 100% correct and coherent answers were obtained for quality tests (3). CONCLUSIONS The development of this ontology provides a tool for physicians, specialists, and students, among others, that can be incorporated into clinical systems to support decision making regarding essential hypertension. Nevertheless, more instances should be incorporated into the ontology by carrying out further searched in the medical history or free text sections of the medical records of patients with this disease.

Download Full-text

The impact of health literacy on health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2018.11.006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. 346-353

Author(s):

Laura M. Mackey ◽

Catherine Blake ◽

Maire-Brid Casey ◽

Camillus K. Power ◽

Ray Victory ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Health literacy and health outcomes in China’s floating population: mediating effects of health service

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10662-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hai-YanYu ◽

Wei-Ling Wu ◽

Lin-Wei Yu ◽

Lei Wu

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Service Utilization ◽

Health Service Utilization ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Floating Population ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Mediating Effects

Abstract Background The floating population in China consists primarily of internal immigrants and represents a typical health vulnerable group. Poor health literacy has recently become an obstacle in the accessibility and utilization of health services for the vulnerable population, leading to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to examine whether health literacy affected health outcomes in China’s floating population and whether health service utilization had a mediating effect between health literacy and health outcomes. Method The current study utilized a cross-sectional stratified, multistage, proportional to scale (PPS) study in Zhejiang Province, China, in November and December 2019. In total, 657 valid self-reported questionnaires were recovered and used for data collection. Questionnaires included questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, health outcomes, and health service utilization. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test questionnaire validity; descriptive statistics were used to understand the demographic characteristics of the floating population; and structural equation modeling was used to determine whether health service utilization mediated health literacy and health outcomes. Results We report positive correlations between health literacy, health service utilization, and health outcomes. Mediation analysis demonstrated that health service utilization had partial mediating effects between health literacy and health outcomes. In the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes, the indirect effects of health service utilization accounted for 6.6–8.7% of the total effects. Conclusion Complete health literacy, through health care literacy and health promotion literacy, affects the mobile population’s initiative to use health services, which, in turn, affects health outcomes. Thus, improving the health literacy of the floating population will help to improve health outcomes. Furthermore, health service providers should enhance the diversity of health service supply to ensure that the floating population has the external resources to improve personal health literacy.

Download Full-text