Health Literacy

Question 1

define “health literacy”

Answer 1

• degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand the basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions

Question 2

what types of skills are needed for health literacy?

what are those skills needed for?

Answer 2

• health literacy encompasses the wide range of skills and competencies that ppl develop over their lifetimes in order to:
  
  • seek out
  • comprehend
  • evaluate
  • use health information and concepts
• each of the above are needed for the following:
  
  • to make informed choices
  • reduce health risks
  • inc quality of life

Question 3

what are health literacy skills used?

Answer 3

• dialogue and discussion
• reading health info
• interpreting charts
• making decisions about participating in research studies
• using medical tools for personal or family health care
  
  • ie. using a peak flow meter, or reading a thermometer or calculating time/dosage of medicine, or voting on healt/environmental issues

Question 4

functional literacy

Answer 4

• reading and writing skills that are inadequate to manage daily living and employment talks that require reading skills
• examples:
  
  • reading road signs
  • reading food labels
  • takinga driver’s license exam
  • filling out job apps
  • reading instructions on the job
• may not be able to read and understand technical, scientific, or medical info
• may especially have trouble interpreting info and how it applies to their own situation

Question 5

scientific literacy

Answer 5

• ability to understand how science research works and interpret the results of research

Question 6

civic literacy

Answer 6

• helps citizens become aware of public issues, participate in discussions about these issues, and become involved in decision making processes related to these issues

Question 7

cultural literacy

Answer 7

• ability to recognize, understand and use the collective beliefs, customs, world-view, and social identity of diverse individuals to interpret and act on information
• in order for any message to be effective, the person developing the message should understand the culture of the recipient and make the message culturally sensitive

Question 8

3 domains of health literacy

Answer 8

• clinical domain
• prevention domain
• navigation of the health care system domain

Question 9

the clinical domain of health literacy

Answer 9

• includes activities assoc w/:
  
  • health care provider-patient interaction
  • clinical encounters
  • dx and tx of illness
  • medication education

Question 10

prevention domain of health literacy

Answer 10

• includes activities assoc with:
  
  • maintaining and improving health
  • preventing dz
  • intervening early in emerging health problems
  • engaging in self care and self mgmt of illness

Question 11

navigation of health care system domain of health literacy

Answer 11

• encompasses those activities related to understanding how the health care system works and individual rights and responsibilities

Question 12

low health literacy (LHL)

Answer 12

• can be found at all levels of society, but often a hidden problem
  
  • ppl don’t want to reveal their limited literacy skills
  • develop strategies to cope and protect themselves from being judged as incompetent
• LHL remains a barrier to reducing gaps in healthcare quality and improving outcomes
• find it difficult to understand directions for taking meds, to calculate doses, or comprehend a consent form
• may contributeto suboptimal care and outcomes thru lower participation in health program
• may result in reduced ability to act on and understand the advice of health professional

Question 13

risks assoc with LHL

Answer 13

• more likely to be hospitalized
• more likely to use emergency rooms
• more likely to have meds and tx errors
• less likely to follow thru with tx
• less likely to obtain preventative care

Question 14

literacy and self esteem

Answer 14

• literacy is taken for granted in many aspects of our society
• b/c of the stigma of illiteracy, ppl may be ashamed to admit they cannot read
• as a result, ppl w/ LHL may find it difficult to feel part of their community

Question 15

overall impact of health literacy

Answer 15

• health literacy is the ability to make good health decisions every day
  
  • pts must be able to:
    
    • read and evaluate complex health info
    • weigh risks/benefits of procedures
    • comprehend doctor’s orders
    • use math to calculate dosages
    • interpret test results
    • find health info