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| Elderly people with weaker literacy skills have shorter lives: study |
July 23, 2007 Older people who can't read have a greater chance of dying, including from cardiovascular disease, a U.S. study released Monday suggests. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, investigated 3,260 U.S. patients over 65 who were on medicare. It indicates that older adults with low literacy levels had a 50 per cent higher mortality rate compared to seniors with better literacy skills. "The excess number of deaths among people with low literacy was huge. The magnitude of this shocked us," lead author Dr. David Baker, who worked on study with his colleagues from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release. Cardiovascular disease was cited in the study as the most common cause of death among those with "inadequate health literacy." The study showed that low health literacy was the top predictor of mortality after smoking, also surpassing income and years of education. Northwestern began the study in 1997, with study participants from Cleveland, Tampa, Miami and San Antonio. At the time, participants were asked a variety of personal questions on many areas, such as medical background, education and health behaviours. They were also asked to complete a literacy test where they had to read a variety of health-related materials, such as pill bottles, that required understanding numbers.
From: www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/07/23/elderlyliteracystudy.html |
| Getting the straight scoop |
February 20, 2007 Consumers and others looking for medical information that is not steeped in technical jargon or written for the highly literate have several choices available. They include:
Full Story: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/16/AR2007021602311.html |
| Speaking in simple terms can improve health care outcomes |
October 31, 2006 Edyth Martin calls it &lqt;talking in plain English.&lqt; As the primary caretaker for her 14-year-old grandson, Joey Wilson, who has multiple health problems, she knows the importance of health literacy. She is the one who takes Joey to physician visits at MCGs Childrens Medical Center. &lqt;At first they would talk over my head,&lqt; she says of the seemingly endless trail of doctors whove treated Joey. &lqt;I got to be known as Grandma and Id always tell them, 'Talk to me in plain English so Ill know what Ive got to do when we leave here.'&lqt; Joey has a seizure disorder, scoliosis, severe cerebral palsy and mental retardation just a few of the lasting results from a brutal attack on his mother when she was nine months pregnant. He has survived 11 major surgeries in his short life and requires a feeding tube and supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day. Joey requires constant care that can include anything from suctioning the reservoir at the base of his spine to simply knowing his medicine schedule to cleaning his naval where the tube that feeds him connects. Mrs. Martin does it all something she says wouldnt have been possible without health care providers explaining things in terms she could understand. &lqt;They taught me everything that a nurse would have to know, &lqt; she says. &lqt;Joey takes several medications four times a day. I have to know what medicine goes with what medicine and the exact amounts of the dose. The doctors worked with me to figure out a schedule.&lqt; The unfortunate thing, according to Gayle Bentley, an assistant professor of biobehavioral nursing at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing, is that Mrs. Martin may be one of the exceptions. &lqt; She sought out clarification in communications about her grandson, &lqt; Dr. Bentley says. &lqt;A lot of people wouldnt do that. Navigating the health care environment is a challenge for most Americans. Low health literacy presents complex issues for individuals and families, and can be barriers to getting the best health outcomes.&lqt; According to the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, health literacy is the ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Put simply, says Dr. Bentley, people need to be able to understand often complicated health diagnoses and treatment plans. &lqt;Health care providers need to communicate in plain language and that includes both verbal and written communication, &lqt; she says. &lqt;Health literacy skills are needed for a wide variety of things, including dialogue with health care providers, reading health information, making decisions about treatments, carrying out medical treatments such as a tube feedings calculating timing or the dosage of medicines and even choosing to get screenings for chronic conditions.&lqt; Studies suggest that while individuals with limited health literacy come from all walks of life, the problem is greater among people with general literacy issues older adults, people with limited education and those who speak English as a second language. &lqt;All of the research indicates that even people who are well-educated and fully literate have problems understanding health-related terms,&lqt; Dr. Bentley says. And it can be a complex problem. According to the American Medical Association, poor health literacy is &lqt;a stronger predictor of a person's health than age, income, employment status, education level and race.&lqt; For example, a person who has trouble reading medication label might take it erratically, which could cause future health problems. The Institute of Medicine reports that 90 million people in the United States have difficulty understanding and using health information. The key to addressing the issue, Dr. Bentley says, is a multi-faceted approach efforts should focus on increasing literacy rates in the community and ensuring that future health care professionals understand and address the relationship between health literacy, clear communication and health outcomes. The MCG School of Nursing has incorporated health literacy education into its curriculum. &lqt; It's a problem that needs to be addressed at all levels, &lqt; she says. &lqt; It should start with awareness from providers and should also be an essential concept in the education of health professionals. It is a concept critical to patient- and family-centered care and it should be important to everyone involved in health promotion, disease prevention and heath care delivery.&lqt;
Full Story: www.mcg.edu/news/2006NewsRel/health_literacy103106.html |
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