How can health literacy assessment improve patient care?
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Health literacy is the ability to find, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions about one's health and care. However, many people have low health literacy, which can affect their health outcomes, quality of life, and health care costs. How can health literacy assessment improve patient care? In this article, we will explore some of the benefits and methods of assessing health literacy in different settings.
Health literacy assessment is the process of measuring how well a person can access, comprehend, and apply health information in various situations. Health literacy assessment can be done at different levels, such as individual, organizational, or community. Health literacy assessment can help identify the strengths and needs of patients, providers, and systems, and inform strategies to improve health communication and education.
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Khushbu Balsara, DDS, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Global Health | JH-IIRU | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | LinkedIn Community TopVoice
Health literacy assessments ensure patients grasp health info 📄, aiding in better care. For instance, a simple quiz 📋 can reveal if a patient can understand a medication schedule. Results guide doctors to use clearer language or visual aids ➡️🖼️, leading to improved health outcomes. 🩺📈
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Luiz P.
Hospital CEO
By assessing health literacy, I can personalize communication, ensure patients understand medical information, minimize misunderstandings, empower informed decision-making, and ultimately enhance overall health outcomes.
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Dr. Jessica D.
Research Scholar + Forever Student +Nurse + Advocate + Educator + Antiracist + Ally + Science Nerd + Believer in brave conversations
Health literacy assessment is a crucial tool that evaluates an individual's ability to understand and use health-related information in real-time. It's about assessing the ability to make informed health decisions at a specific moment. It is not fixed, health literacy is dynamic, influenced by the context and demands faced by an individual. These assessments often involve practical tasks like interpreting health instructions, providing a snapshot of a person's health literacy in a given situation. Health literacy is NOT static but a variable state. Our goal is to empower patients by enhancing their understanding and engagement with health information, we should continually assess a patient's current health literacy and learning capacity.
Health literacy assessment is important as it can help improve patient care in a variety of ways. Enhancing patient-provider communication and trust, increasing patient engagement and empowerment, improving patient safety and quality of care, and reducing health disparities are all possible with health literacy assessment. This is achieved by tailoring information and language to the patient's level of understanding and preferences, helping them ask questions, express concerns, and participate in shared decision making, as well as addressing social and cultural factors that influence health literacy and health outcomes.
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Khushbu Balsara, DDS, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Global Health | JH-IIRU | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | LinkedIn Community TopVoice
Health literacy assessment is crucial for tailored patient care. It boosts understanding, ensuring patients can follow treatments and make informed decisions. This leads to better health outcomes, fewer errors, and reduced disparities, as providers adjust communication to each patient's needs. 🗣️📚🩺
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Angela De Jesus
Quality Control | Medical Laboratory Scientist | Experienced with Laboratory Regulations, Detail-Oriented, Organized
A patient’s health literacy is one of the most underrated aspects of health care. Healthcare workers have less and less time to ensure their patients are properly educated, leaving patients to fill those gaps with skewed and sometimes completely incorrect information from “Dr. Google”. Having an understanding of the patient’s baseline knowledge will prevent patients from feeling “talked down to” and prevents the doctor from feeling like their time is being wasted by breaking the information down further than needed. It allows patients to ask more important questions, feel confident in their care team, and can even improve their overall care plan by giving more informed answers and allowing them to work as a team with their care team.
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Dr. Jessica D.
Research Scholar + Forever Student +Nurse + Advocate + Educator + Antiracist + Ally + Science Nerd + Believer in brave conversations
Health literacy is vital 🌟 to improved health outcomes. It empowers individuals to make informed health decisions, to better navigate the healthcare system, and effectively manage their health. High health literacy leads to better health outcomes, reduced hospital visits, and lower healthcare costs. It bridges the gap between healthcare providers' communication and patients' understanding. Improving health literacy is key to enhancing patient well-being and public health at a personal, population, and global level.
One way to assess health literacy at the individual level is to use validated tools or instruments that measure different aspects of health literacy, such as reading, numeracy, or navigation skills. Some examples of these tools are the Newest Vital Sign, the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, and the Health Literacy Questionnaire. These tools can be administered by health care providers or staff, or by patients themselves, depending on the purpose and context of the assessment.
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Khushbu Balsara, DDS, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Global Health | JH-IIRU | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | LinkedIn Community TopVoice
In the context of injury prevention, public health professionals might apply health literacy assessments to determine if individuals understand the instructions on safety equipment or medication labels to prevent accidental overdoses or misuse. For example, using a tool like the NVS during a community workshop on the safe storage of medications can highlight who might need more guidance. When it comes to smoking cessation programs, understanding the written materials on the health risks of smoking and instructions for nicotine replacement therapies is crucial. Here, a tool like the Health Literacy Questionnaire could be administered to tailor support and ensure participants comprehend the steps needed to quit effectively. 🚭📚🛑
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Dr. Jessica D.
Research Scholar + Forever Student +Nurse + Advocate + Educator + Antiracist + Ally + Science Nerd + Believer in brave conversations
To assess health literacy, use evidence-based tools like REALM, TOFHLA, and NVS. REALM evaluates a person's ability to read and pronounce medical terms. TOFHLA measures the understanding of health-related texts, such as prescription labels. NVS involves interpreting nutrition label information. But remember, though these tools offer insight into health literacy, they may not fully reflect an individual's understanding of information related to their specific health needs. Enhance assessments with condition-specific questions. For instance, in diabetic patients, inquire about their knowledge of glucose monitoring and insulin usage. This approach ensures a comprehensive evaluation, tailored to the patient's current health situation.
Another way to assess health literacy at the organizational level is to use frameworks or standards that evaluate how well a health care organization supports the health literacy of its patients and staff. Some examples of these frameworks are the Ten Attributes of Health Literate Health Care Organizations, the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, and the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care. These frameworks can help health care organizations identify gaps and opportunities to improve their policies, practices, and environments to foster health literacy.
A third way to assess health literacy at the community level is to use approaches or methods that involve the participation and input of community members and stakeholders. Some examples of these approaches are the Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation, the Community Health Needs Assessment, and the Participatory Action Research. These approaches can help communities understand their health literacy assets and challenges, and develop and implement solutions that are relevant and responsive to their needs and contexts.
The results of health literacy assessment can be used to inform and improve patient care in a variety of ways. For instance, you can provide feedback and education to patients and providers on their health literacy strengths and needs, and design and deliver health information and education materials that are clear, accurate, and actionable. Additionally, you can implement evidence-based health literacy strategies tailored to the target population and setting, as well as advocate for health literacy policies that are in line with the goals of the health care system and the community.