The Meaning and the Measure of Health Literacy
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TLDR
Computer-assisted testing, which selects items from a bank of possible items according to a baseline-predicted reading ability and responses to previous questions, should allow more accurate measurement of indiidual capacity without increasing the time required to complete testing.Abstract:
Health literacy is a complicated construct that depends on individual capacity to communicate and the demands posed by society and the health care system. More comprehensive tests are needed to understand the gap between capacities and current demands to help guide efforts to educate children and adults about health issues and to develop health-related information that more of the general public can understand. For research, new instruments are needed that will measure individuals reading fluency more precisely without posing an undue response burden. Computer-assisted testing, which selects items from a bank of possible items according to a baseline-predicted reading ability and responses to previous questions, should allow more accurate measurement of indiidual capacity without increasing the time required to complete testing. It remains unclear whether it is possible to develop an accurate, practical “screening” test to identify individuals with limited health literacy. Even if this goal is achieved, it remains unclear whether it is better to screen patients or to adopt “universal precautions” to avoid miscommunication by using plain language in all oral and written communication and confirming understanding with all patients by having them repeat back their understanding of their diagnosis and treatment plan. George Bernard Shaw said, “The main problem with communication is the assumption that it has occurred.” This is a universal truth that transcends reading ability.read more
Citations
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Healthcare providers' perspectives on parental health literacy and child health outcomes among Southeast Asian American immigrants and refugees
TL;DR: Investigation of healthcare providers' perspectives on the health literacy of immigrant and refugee parents and its association with children's health found the complexity of parental health literacy and its various effects on children'shealth outcomes among immigrant and Refugee parents were evident.
Journal ArticleDOI
Demographic and psychosocial factors associated with limited health literacy in a community-based sample of older Black Americans
Stacy N. Davis,Jonathan W. Wischhusen,Steven K. Sutton,Shannon M. Christy,Enmanuel A. Chavarria,Megan E. Sutter,Siddhartha Roy,Cathy D. Meade,Clement K. Gwede +8 more
TL;DR: Limited health literacy was associated with multiple complex factors and interventions should incorporate patient health literacy and low-literacy materials that can be delivered through multiple channels.
Journal ArticleDOI
Health Literacy Impact on Patient-Provider Interactions Involving the Treatment of Dental Problems
Leonard A. Cohen,Arthur J. Bonito,Celia Eicheldinger,Richard J. Manski,Robert R. Edwards,Niharika Khanna +5 more
TL;DR: Examination of health literacy-related markers for patients seeking treatment in hospital emergency departments and physician and dentist offices for dental problems and injuries found that males and Hispanics were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to experience health Literacy-related problems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Framing health literacy: A comparative analysis of national action plans.
TL;DR: Analysis of how health literacy debates are framed within the political arena as well as the factors that influence framing suggests that health literacy might, if applied strategically, help to focus policy debates on key public health problems and the development of systemic solutions.
Journal ArticleDOI
Role of cognitive ability in the association between functional health literacy and mortality in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936: A prospective cohort study
TL;DR: Functional health literacy measures may, in part, assess fluid-type cognitive abilities, and this may account for the association between functional health literacy and mortality.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
“Mini-mental state”: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician
Marshal F. Folstein,Marshal F. Folstein,Susan E B Folstein,Susan E B Folstein,Paul R. McHugh,Paul R. McHugh +5 more
TL;DR: A simplified, scored form of the cognitive mental status examination, the “Mini-Mental State” (MMS) which includes eleven questions, requires only 5-10 min to administer, and is therefore practical to use serially and routinely.
A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician
TL;DR: The Mini-Mental State (MMS) as mentioned in this paper is a simplified version of the standard WAIS with eleven questions and requires only 5-10 min to administer, and is therefore practical to use serially and routinely.
BookDOI
Health literacy : a prescription to end confusion
TL;DR: Health Literacy: Prescription to End Confusion examines the body of knowledge that applies to the field of health literacy, and recommends actions to promote a health literate society.
Journal ArticleDOI
Quick assessment of literacy in primary care: the newest vital sign.
Barry D. Weiss,Mary Z. Mays,William Martz,Kelley Merriam Castro,Darren A. DeWalt,Michael Pignone,Joy Mockbee,Frank A. Hale +7 more
TL;DR: NVS, the Newest Vital Sign, is suitable for use as a quick screening test for limited literacy in primary health care settings and correlates with the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults.
Journal ArticleDOI
The test of functional health literacy in adults: a new instrument for measuring patients' literacy skills.
TL;DR: The Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) as mentioned in this paper was developed using actual hospital materials and consists of a 50-item reading comprehension and 17-item numerical ability test.