T2: Week 8 - Health Literacy Flashcards
What is literacy?
The ability to read, write, and understand written text and numbers
What are the operational levels of literacy?
- Below basic
- Basic
- Intermediate
- Proficient
What is the health literacy?
The capability of patients to read or hear health information, understand it, and then act on that health information
What is proficient literacy?
Able to navigate the healthcare system; able to analyze, integrate, and synthesize complex information
How much of Americans are proficient in health literacy?
12%
What is basic health literacy?
Can read, understand, and use information in short, simple documents
What is below basic health literacy?
Below that which is necessary to function
How many Americans function at the basic or below basic literacy?
36%
What is the impact of limited health literacy?
- Decreased knowledge and understanding
- Decreased ability for medication management
- Uncertain effect on medication adherence
- Worse health outcomes
- Increased healthcare costs
How can decreased knowledge and understanding impact limited health literacy?
3 times more likely to incorrectly interpret warning labels
How can decreased ability for medication management impact limited health literacy?
- Unable to identify their own medications
- Poor administration technique
How can uncertain effect on medication adherence impact limited health literacy?
Lower refill adherence
How can limited health literacy cause worse health outcomes?
Less prevention, more hospitalization
How can limited health literacy increase healthcare costs?
Inefficient use of services
How is the relevance to pharmacy with health literacy?
Current safe medication practices are inefficient and ineffective for patients with limited health literacy
- Patient information leaflets
- Medication labels
- Patient counseling
- Medication names
What is the medication information maze?
Patients are expected to:
1. Read health materials
2. Ask intelligent questions
3. Interpret labels, tests, etc.
4. Understand medical jargon
5. Track ADRs and report them
6. Calculate doses and refills
7. Navigate insurance processes
What are high risk groups for limited health literacy?
- Age 65 or older
- Minorities
- Spoke another language prior to formal education
- Have less than a high school diploma
- Live at or below the poverty line
- Rate their overall health as poor
- Have Medicaid, Medicare, or no insurance
- Have limited English proficiency
What are the tools for assessing health literacy?
- Informal assessment
- Formal assessment
What is informally assessments?
- Look for common sights
- Conduct a medication review
How do we conduct a medication review?
- Refill history
- Medication list
- Memorized instructions
What are examples of formal assesments?
- Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine – Short Form (REALM-SF)
- Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA)
- Newest Vital Sign (NVS)
- Chew Questionnaire
How do we preform an informal health literacy assessment and what are questions associated with them?
- Handwritten material to individual upside down (Do they turn the material around?)
- Hand the material and watch how they look at it (Do their eyes move about the page as expected)
- Do they make excuses? (Forgot glasses, later when there’s more time, take home to relative)
What are the signs of limited health literacy?
- Reads slowly
- Has difficulty telling a coherent story
- Fills out forms incorrectly or incompletely
- Has difficulty following instructions
- Does not ask questions for clarification
- Fails to show up for appointments
- Unable to verbalize a list of medications
- Uses excuses
- Brings along a friend or family member for assistance
- Nods in agreement but does not truly understand
- Forgets to refill medications on time
What is Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine – Short Form (REALM-SF)?
- Word recognition test
- Full form asks patients to read aloud 66 medical words
- Short form asks for 7 medical words
- Does not test comprehension
- Only available in English
- Time needed: 2-3 minutes
What is Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA)?
- Available in English and Spanish
- Often used in research
- 4 numeracy items and 2 prose passages about medical issues
- Time needed: 7 minutes
What is newest vital sign (NVS)?
- Available in English and Spanish
- Patients given nutrition label and asked 6 questions about the label
- Time needed: 3 minutes
What questions involved with chew questionaire?
- How often do you have someone help you read hospital materials?
- How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself
- How often do you have problems learning about your medical conditions because of difficulty understanding written information?
What are the answers of low health literacy with the question “how often do you have someone help you read hospital materials?”
Sometimes, often, always
What are the answers of low health literacy with the question “How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?”
Somewhat, a little bit, not at all
What are the answers of low health literacy with the question “How often do you have problems learning about your medical conditions because of difficulty understanding written information?”
Sometimes, often, always
What are the 3C’s of health communication?
- Character
- Chemistry
- Competence
How do we establish characteristics for health communication?
Establish a trust-based relationship
How do we establish chemistry for health communication?
Engage with compassion and build rapport
How do we establish competence for health communication?
Express yourself with confidence and be prepared
What are the techniques for clear health communication?
- Slow down – take time to counsel
- Create a relaxed, non-threatening environment
- Use plain language
- Show/demonstrate medications
- Focus on 1-3 key points and repeat them frequently
- Use the teach-back method
- Encourage questions
- Provide patient-friendly material
- Use pictures or illustrated medication schedules
- Review complete regimen and consolidate into daily schedule
What is the plain language for analgesic?
Pain killer
What is the plain language for anti-inflammatory?
Lessens swelling and irritation
What is the plain language for contraception?
Birth control
What is the plain language for hypertension?
High blood pressure
What is the plain language for lipids?
Fats in the blood
What is the plain language for menses?
Period
What is the plain language for monitor?
Keep track of, keep an eye on
What is the plain language for oral?
by mouth
