Question

Address the following questions within the presentation:

1. What is health literacy?
2. How can nurses assess illiteracy and adapt approaches to patient teaching?
3. How does low health literacy skills impact patient outcomes?
4. What resources might be available on a unit or in an organization to assist patients with low health literacy skills?
5. Why is it important to assess patient literacy?
6. How does health literacy play a role in patient safety?

Answer 1

1) Health literacy: Individual's ability to understand basic concepts as they pertain to issues of health and healthcare.

2)How can nurse assess illiteracy :

Nurse can conduct a readability test. Patients often show signs of nervousness, confusion, frustration and give incorrect answers when questioned about what they have read.

To overcome the issue, nurse can use non-clinical terms or plain language (communicate clearly), use pictures and graphs  and patient teach-back technique to ensure patient has understood clearly

3) Impact on patient outcome

Patients with limited health literacy have less awareness of preventive health measures and less knowledge of their medical conditions and self-care. Poor understanding of health and health-related issues can lead to higher rates of illness and poor self-care

Health literacy can help patient prevent health problems and protect his health, as well as better manage those problems and unexpected situations that happen. It allow individual to make healthier choices with regard to their lifestyles. A literate person, well aware of ill-effect of certain substances is more likely to abstain from it.

A patient who is aware of his symptoms or is up to date with healthcare information, can seek help from doctor faster, have faster to access care when it is needed

4) Resources available:

Patient help-desk : eg for services such as offering help to patients in completing forms

Make written instructions clear and simple, using language that is easy to read and understand.

Review the instructions with patients and check to be sure they understand the information.

Providing patients with pamphlets, or links to online resources, that has images or info graphics. Videotapes or audiotapes

Mobile apps

5) Importance of assessing Health literacy

It is important to assess Health literacy so that patient can find, understand, and use health information and services.

It would help in communicating effectively with patients who have low health literacy by matching verbal instructions and the readability level of materials to the health literacy skills of the patient.

Communicating effectively will ensure that patient is feeling free and is able to convey to the doctor his complaint effectively and completely, and Moreover then also can understand his treatment plans

6) health literacy in patient safety

A literate person would have better ability to access healthcare services, understand health-related information, and follow healthcare instructions which will all aid in his safety