Promoting Health Literacy as a Health Professional

Flashcards about Health Literacy for health professionals.

Medication Errors —>

In a study of 395 primary care patients in 3 states asked “How would you take this medicine?” (more than one label)

➢ __% did not understand the instructions on more than one label

➢ __% with adequate literacy missed at least one label Davis, et. al. 2006

➢ 46% did not understand the instructions on more than one label

➢ 38% with adequate literacy missed at least one label Davis, et. al. 2006

Reading vs. Comprehension —>

In a study of adults with literacy below the 6th grade level:

(reading the instructions “take two tablets by mouth daily”)

– 71% correctly read the instructions “take two

tablets by mouth daily”

– Only 35% could demonstrate the number of pills to actually take

Dosing Instructions —> lots of ways to get it wrong

• Abbreviations

• Uncommon measurements (ml, grams, CC)

• Unfamiliar terms

• Inconsistent markings

Most physicians ( __%) believed patients knew their diagnosis; however, __% of patients did

Most physicians (77%) believed patients knew their diagnosis; however, 57% of patients did

Health Literacy Definition

The ability to obtain, read, understand, and use health information and services (CDC, 2023).

A wide range of skills is needed to help people understand and use information to lead a health life

• Understand appointment notices

• Following instructions on medication labels

• Get information about illness

• Participate in discussion of informed consent

• Making appropriate medical decisions

Health Literacy in the Public

• Voting on smoking ordinances

• Vaccinations

• Emergency preparedness

• Wearing a helmet

• Causes of diabetes

• OSHA workplace regulations

Proficient: Define medical terms, Calculate share of employee’s health insurance costs

Intermediate: Determine healthy weight from BMI chart, interpret prescription and OTC drug labels

Basic: Understand simple patient education handout

Below Basic: Circle date on appointment slip, understand simple pamphlet about pre- test instructions

Health Literacy in the US

_____ Americans have difficulty understanding and using health information

Over _____ additional Americans cannot read complex text

90 million Americans have difficulty understanding and using health information

Over 40 million additional Americans cannot read complex text

Health Literacy in MO

Approximately _____ Missourians have basic or below basic health literacy

Approximately 1.6 million Missourians have basic or below basic health literacy

Impact of Poor Health Literacy

• Less compliance with treatment

• Less use of preventative services

• Risks of hospitalizations

• Poor chronic condition management

• Increased costs

• Poor health outcomes

• Increased mortality

Patient Recall of Health Information

What percentage of information do they remember? Correctly?

Patients/Parents forget 40%-50% of what their practitioner tells them as soon as they leave the office, and nearly 50% of what they do remember is recalled incorrectly.

• The more information a patient is given, the less they can recall

Costs of Low Health Literacy

$____ average annual costs for low health literacy

VS.

$____ for those with higher health literacy

People with low health literacy have over four

times higher annual health care costs

$13,000 average annual costs for low health literacy

VS.

$3000 for those with higher health literacy

Economic Costs of Poor Health Literacy

• _____ dollars a year in Missouri

• _____ dollars a year in the US

• 3.3 to 7 million dollars a year in Missouri

• 238 billion dollars a year in the US

Human Costs of Poor Health Literacy

• Increased pain and suffering

• Mental health

• Lost work and leisure time

Who Pays the Costs?

Health Literacy Affects Health Outcomes

Quality is affected by

• Later diagnosis of diseases and ailments

• Poor medication and treatment adherence

• Less preventative care utilization

• Increased need for chronic care measures

• Greater costs for person and system

Universal Precautions Definition

A communication strategy that assumes all healthcare encounters are at risk for communication errors and aims to minimize risk for all.

Why Learn Health Literacy Now?

Most patient instructions are;

• Complex

• Delivered rapidly

• Easy to forget under stress

Healthcare is increasingly complex

• More medications, tests, procedure

• More self-care requirements

• More individual input into decisions

Understanding the Patient

Understand how patients’ background affects their decision making

• Aspects affecting Health Literacy

  • – Culture

  • – Religion

  • – Health disparities

  • – Compliance rates

  • – Education level

Universal Precautions

• Strive to make visits consumer-centered

• Explain thing clearly in plain language

• Focus on key message and repeat

Universal Precautions Methods

• Use the “teach back” or “show me” method for understanding

• Use consumer-friendly educational material to enhance interactions

• Use medical interpretation services

Explain in Common Language

• Most patients don’t understand anatomy!

• We use words differently in healthcare

• If possible, use patient’s own words

• Use common language

• Use analogies that are relatable to the patient

Talking with Families

• Use plain language

• Slow down

• Break it down to shorter statements

• Focus on 2-3 most important concepts

• Check for understanding