Health Literacy: How Well Does Your Patient Understand Health Information?

FOCUS FIND: 2010 Joslin chart audit revealed: – Health literacy documentation lacking. – Poor understanding of health literacy term ORGANIZE a Team: All Joslin staff CLARIFY: Define “health literacy” for staff UNDERSTAND: Reviewed assessment process SELECT: An opportunity exists to… – Define health literacy for staff – Assess and document each patient’s health literacy – Tailor patient educational plans as needed

PDCA PLAN Research the term ‘health literacy’ Identify tool to assess health literacy Update charting forms DO Research the term “health literacy” Identify a tool to assess health literacy 1.How often are patient educational materials written in a way that is easy to read and are understandable ? 2.How often are medical forms difficult to understand and fill out? 3.How often do you have someone (like a family member, friend, hospital/clinic worker, or caregiver) help you read education material? Update charting forms – added health literacy as a learning barrier Planned chart audits: at 1month, then quarterly Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence and the Epidemiologic Research and Information Center. (2004). VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle: and the Department of Medicine, University of Washington

CHECK Question 1 Question 2 Question 3

ACT Most patients selecting “sometimes” Change to 5 point Likert scale Restart PDCA cycle

PDCA – Cycle 2 CHECK: – Majority continued to select “sometimes” even with 5 point scale ACT: – Reassess Health Literacy with new perspective : Insert “Joslin” into questions – Queried patients at completion of program

Check-Cycle 3 Question 1 Question 2 Question 3

ACT – Cycle 3 Results demonstrate that majority of patients “always” found Joslin materials easy to read and understand Center will continue assessing health literacy on history forms – Will stop formally tracking data

References Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence and the Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (2004). VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle: and the Department of Medicine, University of Washington. Powers, B., Trinh, J, & Bosworth. (2010). Can this patient read and understand written health information? Journal of American Medical Association, 304(1), pp Health People Retrieved from: