Health Literacy Flashcards
Lec 8 part 2
What is health literacy?
an individuals capability to process, understand, obtain, and communicate health info and services in order to make appropriate health decisions. HL is a partnership btwn the HCP and the pt.
How many Canadian OAs have low HL?
88%, with an emphasis on oral communication. avg HL for OAs, immigrants, and unemployed persons is below lvl 3. lvl 3 is the lowest score you can get to be considered still able to fully and fairly participate in society.
What is a health literate organization?
an organization that makes it easier for ppl to be health literate (so being able to communicate and process health info and make decisions on it).
What are some organization barriers to health literacy?
- HCP speaks quickly or uses jargon. 2. educational material is not meant for the literacy of the general public 3. unrecognized or unattended individual, meaning they may have sensory deficits, lang barriers, lack of confidence, medical stress, etc.
What did the study on medication labels find?
that if the dosage directions was different ie tsp, mL, or teaspoon ppl used diff dosage tools. so ppl were underdosing or overdosing, so making medication errors. So need ppl to be aware of proper metric and dosing tool.
What is SMOG?
Simple Measuring Of Gobbledygook. a measuring tool of how readable smthn is. so if get score of 7.4 that means its 7th grade readability lvl. Based on number of 3or more syllable words.
How to make things more accessible?
use plain language, avoid jargon, dont talk too quickly. Making sure info is clear.
What is jargon?
special words or expressions used by a group or profession that are difficult for others to understand.
What are some cues for health illiteracy?
doesnt know medical history, frequently missed appointments, cant name meds or what theyre for, not proceeding any follow up appointments, avoiding discussing written material.
What are the outcomes of health illiteracy for OAs?
increases prevalence of chronic illnesses that are affected by lifestyle choices.
How can we improve health literacy lvls?
participation in literacy activities. engage in more literary practice. literacy-related habits can make up for low education.
What is a program to improve HL?
Manitoba Institute of Patient Safety. show pts how to ask right questions about health care. What is my health problem? What do i need to do? Why do i need to do this>
