Health Literacy and its Impact on Patients Essay

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and interpret basic wellness information and services destinyed to make get wellness decisions. Low wellness literacy has a negative encroachment on a long-sufferings wellness status and use of the wellness boot system. Patients with small(a) health literacy levels can non make decisions regarding their health c ar or follow book of instructions on medications and health maintenance behaviors. This can affect health attention in a variety of ways.It is the health c ar volunteerrs responsibility to get wind that patients with low health literacy levels are identified and measures are taken to cover those patients understand their options and instructions. To educate these patients, health care providers need to develop resources that are easily understood and audience skills that can ensure patient comprehension. Research has shown that patients with a low health literacy level ma y be much likely to have problems following verbal or written health check advice and medication instructions or understanding health-related materials.This look backward discusses the commonness of health literacy and its impact on patients and the health care system, and provides recommendations for creating ancillary literature at the appropriate level. The use of these tools and improved physician interview skills will establish a unwrap physician/patient descent and continue to shape up patient participation in the health care process. By providing the patients with the basic knowledge to understand and adhere to the instructions prone to them and the confidence to communicate any questions or concerns, the hospital is promoting a better patient/physician relationship. there was a field of view conducted in 2003 by the National Assessment on Adult Literacy that was released in 2006 that included a Health Literacy component that evaluated patients health literacy in t rio main categories clinical, preventative, and navigation of the health care system. These three categories were designed to contemplate things that patients would see or be pick uped to do in their daily lives. There were examples such as following medication instructions, scheduling health screening tests and finding ones way to the appropriate location for a medical appointment within a health care facility.The results of this study indicated that 36-38 of adults in the United States had a basic or beneath health literacy level or were not literate in English and could not participate in the assessment. Another 55% of U. S. adults reported having a mid-range level of health literacy which showed room for improvement. Patients who have low health literacy levels often are not able to comprehend and follow the instructions on a medication bottle or determine the dosage information on over-the-counter medications.The inability to understand the information requested on a health care form can prevent an individual from having fitted health care coverage or having access to care when it is required. If a patient does not have the ability to identify when treatment is needed for a medical condition, make the appointment and navigate through the health care system to be treated, their health can suffer. By not seeking medical attention at the beginning of an illness or not accessing the appropriate point of entry in a health care clinic, the patient is reducing the chance of having a positive health outcome.People with lower health literacy may wait to seek medical attention rather than utilizing preventative health services. These patients often have high rates of admission and use services that are designed for more critical patient care. When faced with a disease or health care condition, patients are often turning to a variety of places for health information such as the internet, magazines, or books. Adults with basic or below basic health literacy le vels did not turn to such resources.Physicians are with a patient such a short amount of time at each visit, yet they have so much they need to provide to the patient. At a visit to the physician several new concepts are being introduced to the adult such as discontinuing a the use of a current prescription, modification of the prescribed dose, or introducing a new medicine. It is of dandy importance to verify that the patient understands what is being said to them. Asking the patient to demonstrate what they just heard is more effective in gauging whether a patient understands the information.There can be additional time neglect with patients, or supplemental materials can be provided to patients who have difficulty affect this critical information. Other factors that can have a negative impact on a persons comprehension of health-related materials include special(a) English language skills, chronic health conditions, hearing problems, or lot problems. In order for patients to be able to most effectively use these health education materials, they should be written at lower variant levels using simple words and pictures to emphasize points.Low health literacy is a problem that continues grow in patients in the health care system, change to a lack of use of services, often leading to negative health outcomes. Hospitals should focus attention on their forms and the health education materials they are distributing to the patients to ensure that there materials are appropriate for all levels of health literacy. Having forms that are more easily understood may increase a patients ability to access and utilize appropriate hospital services.Also by giving patients more appropriate health education materials will encourage them to become more actively involved in their care by providing them with the confidence to make decisions about their treatment. As the individual relationship is construct between patient and care team, the trust will follow to ask questi ons about information that is not clear and seek assistance when it is branch needed instead of when it is a critical situation. DeMarco, Joanna. ( 2011, Spring). The Importance of Patient precept Throughout the Cotinuum of Health Care. 295-301. Journal of Consumer Health. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from EBSCOhost.