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

PDCAPLAN

• 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

CHECKHow often are patient education materials written in a

way that is easy to read and are understandable?

21

62

5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Always Sometimes Never

How often are medical forms difficult to understand and fill out?

12

54

22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Always Sometimes Never

How often do you have someone help you read education materials?

10

24

54

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Always Sometimes Never

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

ACT

• Most patients selecting “sometimes”• Change to 5 point Likert scale

Restart PDCA cycle

PDCA – Cycle 2CHECK:

– 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 3How Often are the Joslin educational materials

written in a way that is easy to read and are understandable?

26

11

3 105

1015202530

5 Alw

ays 4

3 Som

etim

es 2

1 Neve

r

April-Aug

How often did you need help to fill out the Joslin forms?

1 15

17

0

5

10

15

20

5 Alw

ays 4

3 Som

etim

es 2

1 Neve

r

April-Aug

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3How often did you have someone help you read the

Joslin education materials?

24

18

0

5

10

15

20

5 Alw

ays 4

3 Som

etim

es 2

1 Neve

r

April-Aug

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. 76-84.

Health People 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx