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Health Literacy Research The Next Generation

Health Literacy Research The Next Generation. Health Literacy Core New Orleans February 20, 2014 Terry Davis, PhD Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics Connie Arnold PhD Associate Professor of Medicine LSUHSC-S. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. Research funding:

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Health Literacy Research The Next Generation

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  1. Health Literacy ResearchThe Next Generation Health Literacy Core New Orleans February 20, 2014 Terry Davis, PhD Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics Connie Arnold PhD Associate Professor of Medicine LSUHSC-S

  2. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Research funding: • NIH, LA Clinical and Translational Science Center • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality • American Cancer Society • American College of Physicians Foundation • National Cancer Institute Stocks: • Johnson & Johnson • Abbott Laboratories

  3. Why Focus on Health Literacy? • Health literacy is a focus of national interest • Poor health literacy is a hidden problem in health research • The majority of U.S. adults struggle with health information and tasks • Literacy levels in U.S. are getting worse • The demands and expectations of the healthcare system are increasing LA ranks 49th in literacy and 49th in overall health (tied with MS) 49th obesity, infant mortality and 48th in preventable hospitalizations Regina Benjamin, 2010; DHHS, 2007 • United Health Foundation, Department of Education; IOM 2007

  4. Health Literacy and LA CaTS The ability to obtain, process, understand, and use health information and services to make appropriate health decisions Low health literacy linked to: ↓ understanding & adherence to med instructions ↓ knowledge, confidence, & skills to manage chronic disease ↓ understanding of consent for procedures & trials ↓ preventive care & services – delayed diagnoses ↓ physical, mental health ↑ ER use, hospitalizations, and readmission ↑ disease related complications and mortality Davis T, Annals Intern Med, 2006; Sanders L, Arch Pediatr Adoles Med, 2009; Dewalt 2004, 2010 Evidence Based Review; DeWalt DA, J Gen Intern Med. 2004. Chew LD, Am J Surg, 2004; Muslow, Am J Surg. 2012.

  5. Questions for Today • Is there an imbalance in your patients’ knowledge and skills and the increasing demands needed to manage their health? • How can we make health information and services easier to understand and use? • What are promising strategies to improve healthcare communication, patient education and consent materials. • What are “lessons learned” for your setting?

  6. Hidden Problems with Health Information “Providers do not recognize that patients do not understand the health information we are trying to communicate.” “Public health emphasis is on getting information ‘out’ to people, not if it has been understood & used.” Dr. Richard Carmona, Former U.S. Surgeon General

  7. Health Literacy 1st Viewed as Patient Deficit Emphasis Shifts to Health System Health Literacy IOM Report (2004) • 90 million adults have trouble understanding and acting on health information Healthy People 2010….and 2020 • Improve health communication (plain language materials) Joint commission (2007) • Patients must be given information they understand * US DHHS, May 27, 2010. (www.health.gov/communication/HLactionplan)

  8. DHHS National Action Plan: Road Map to Improve Health Literacy Aim: Make health information and services easier to understand and use Goals : • Develop and disseminate health information that is accurate, accessible, and actionable. • Promote changes in healthcare delivery system • Expand culturally & linguistically appropriate health information services in the community • Build partnerships, develop guidance, change policies • Increase research, and evaluation of interventions * US DHHS, May 27, 2010. (www.health.gov/communication/HLactionplan)

  9. Literacy Definition (Requirement) Expands With Increasing Demands Of Society “…at a level needed to function on the job and in society.” Literacy Read Write Internet Skills Problem Solving Judgment/ Interpretation Math Skills Communicate National Literacy Act, 1991; S. White, Project Director NAALS 2016

  10. Low Literacy is a National Problem(National Adult Literacy Survey) % Adults with Level 1 Literacy Skills • 21% U.S. Adults are Level 1 • 48% level 1 and 2 – “lack sufficient • literacy skills to function in society” • Hispanic – 79%; African-American – 75% National Institute for Literacy 1998

  11. Low Literacy Rates By Parish % Adults with Level 1 Literacy Skills • >30% • 20%-30% • 15% to 20% • < 15% 28% Louisiana Adults are Level 1 39% New Orleans Adults are Level 1 National Institute for Literacy 1998

  12. What is it Like? • These instructions simulate what a reader with low literacy sees on the printed page • Read instructions out loud. • You have 1 minute to read. • Hint: The words are written backwards and the first word is “cleaning”

  13. GNINAELC – Ot erussa hgih ecnamrofrep, yllacidoirep naelc eht epat sdaeh dna natspac revenehw uoy eciton na noitalumucca fo tsud dna nworb-der edixo selcitrap. Esu a nottoc baws denetsiom htiw lyporposi lohocla. Eb erus on lohocla sehcuot eht rebbur strap, sa ti sdnet ot yrd dna yllautneve kcarc eht rebbur. Esu a pmad tholc ro egnops ot naelc eht tenibac. A dlim paos, ekil gnihsawhsid tnegreted, lliw pleh evomer esaerg ro lio.

  14. Cleaning – to assure high performance, periodically clean the tape heads and capstan whenever you notice an accumulation of dust and brown-red oxide particles. Use a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl alcohol. Be sure no alcohol touches the rubber parts as it tends to dry and eventually crack the rubber. Use a damp cloth or sponge to clean the cabinet. A mild soap like dishwasher detergent will help remove grease or oil.

  15. High school dropout rate: US 23%, LA 29% 47% graduates go on to a 4 year college 43% need remedial classes Only 3 of 5 TOPS students graduate college in 6 years

  16. 1st National Assessment of Health LiteracyAssessed functional skills in clinical, preventive, and navigational tasks n=19,000 U.S. Adults (quantitative literacy) Proficient 12% (13%) Below Basic 14% (22%) Intermediate Below basic Hispanic: 41% Native American: 25% Adults > 65: 29% 53% (33%) Basic 22% (33%) Average HS grad Medicaid National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL): National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education, 2003.

  17. Health Literacy Tasks 152 tasks (28 health related) • Below Basic: Circle date on doctor’s appt. slip • Basic: Give 2 reasons a person with no symptoms should get tested for cancer based on a clearly written pamphlet • Intermediate: Determine what time to take Rx medicine based on label • Proficient: Calculate employee share of health insurance costs using table 67% probability individual can perform task Below Basic Basic Intermediate Proficient

  18. Calculation: A Hidden ProblemUnderstanding Food Labels • You drink this whole bottle of soda. How many grams of total carbohydrates does it contain? • 67.5 grams • 32% answered correctly • 200 primary care patients • 73% private insurance • 67% at least some college • 78% read > 9th grade • 37% math > 9th grade Rothman R, Am J Prev Med, 2006

  19. Video It’s Hard to Be a Patient

  20. Red Flags For Limited Literacy“You Can’t Tell By Looking” • May say “I forgot my glasses.” • Incomplete intake forms • Frequently missed appointments • Unable to give coherent, sequential history • Not taking medications correctly • Ask fewer questions • Lack of follow-through with referrals • May be hesitant to sign forms. * Health Literacy and Patient Safety: Help Patients Understand – A Manual for Clinicians. 2nd edition. Chicago: AMA Foundation and AMA, 2007. www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/367/healthclinicians.pdf

  21. Video It’s Easy to Make a Mistake

  22. Medication Error Most Common Medical Mistake 1.5 M adverse events(patient error >700,000) • 2 out of 3 patients leave MD visit with Rx • 3.9 Billion Rx filled in 2010 • Up 50% - 60% in 10 years • 82% adults take at least one med • Elderly fill 20 Rx/year, see 8 physicians • 1 in 6 pediatric Rx not dosed correctly • >300,000 OTC meds (>600 contain acetaminophen) • Most labels and inserts are in English only U.S. Census Bureau, 2009; PDR for Non-Prescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs (2007); IMS Health 2005; IOM 2006.

  23. Do Patients Understand How To Safely Take Their Medication?

  24. What Does This Picture Mean? • “Somebody is dizzy” • “Don’t touch this stuff” • “Take anywhere” • “Chills or shaking” • “Having an experience with God”

  25. 1 in 10 Adults Struggle With Decoding • “Use extreme caution in how you take it” • “Medicine will make you feel dizzy” • “Take only if you need it” 8% of patients with low literacy understood this instruction

  26. Rx Label Instructions Can patients understand how to take meds after reviewing instructions on pill bottles? Davis, Wolf, Bass, Parker. Ann Intern Med, 2006.

  27. “How would you take this medicine?” 395 medicine clinic patients in 3 states 48% <9th grade reading, averaged 1.4 meds • 46% did not understand instructions ≥ 1 labels • 38% with adequate literacy missed at least 1 label • <10% attended to warning labels Davis, Wolf, Bass, Parker. Ann Intern Med, 2006.

  28. John Smith Dr. Red Take two tablets by mouth twice daily. Humibid LA 600MG 1 refill “Show Me How Many Pills You Would Take in 1 Day” Rates of Correct Understanding vs. Demonstration “Take Two Tablets by Mouth Twice Daily” 89 84 80 71 63 35

  29. Patient Centered Label Can Improve Understanding and Adherence RCT in 11 FQHCs. 429 pts w DM and/or HTN. Average 5 meds Mean age 52, 28% W, 39% low literacy • State Board of Pharmacy in CA passed legislation for this label

  30. What I Learned on my 2007 Summer Vacation A Health Literacy Expert Has A Taste Of Her Own Medicine

  31. When diagnosed, I had to ask cardiologist to write down “What’s my problem? What do you think I need to do?” Cardiologist’s Note Hindsight: I should have asked my insurance company and LSU bureaucracy these questions

  32. Why Am I Taking These?When and How Long Do I Take Them?

  33. How Do I Space Out Pain Meds? Which Tylenol? I did not see active ingredient or realize its importance

  34. Challenges When I Get Home:What is my strategy to keep all these meds straight?

  35. “Crazy Cousin Nancy”The Internet Info Queen • My cousin is a bright woman who lives on the internet; alternative medicine is her thing; she’s retired, lives alone • She is concerned about me and my prescription meds • She sends me at least 2 e-mails weekly about supplements, alternative cures for A-fib, mitral valve problems, high cholesterol, problems with Fosamax, acid in my urine, stress (soda in water daily), stop working so damn much – meditate more.

  36. Strategies to Improve Health Communication, Patient Education & ConsentStep 1 – Put yourself in patient’s shoes

  37. 3 Problems with Face to Face Communication 1. Patients don’t understand unfamiliar medical terms. Those with low literacy rarely ask for clarification. • Transcripts of 150 genetic counseling sessions found key terms (that were jargon) were typically repeated 20 times. • In study of 800 pediatric visits only 1 mother asked for clarification. • Many have difficulty understanding and recalling complex information, less satisfied with visit. • In study of 250 orthopedic patients at 1st post-op visit, 45% knew bone fractured, 19% knew expected healing time, 45% knew weight bearing status. • In study of 100 surgery patients, 95% of surgeons believed patients understood when to resume normal activities vs. only 58% of patients. 3. Those with low literacy are less likely to actively participate in healthcare dialogue and decision making. Roter, D. 2011 Nursing Outlook; Korsch, B. Pediatrics 1968; Castro C 2007 Am J Health Behav; Kadakia, J Ortho Trauma, 2013; Calkins Arch Intern Med, 1997.

  38. Solution : “Strip it down, bring it home, mix it up”Easy ways to reduce ‘literacy burden’ in ‘face-to-face’ communication Strip it down. Limit unnecessary use of jargon and complex language. Goal - engage patient in conversation that facilitates understanding, establishes rapport and diminishes social distance. Bring it home. Make health information personally relevant. Make it concrete by grounding it in the patient’s life. Begin by asking patients what they know. Mix it up Cut the ‘mini lectures’/monologues. Increase “the back and forth”. Talk less - listen more. Check for understanding, buy in, or questions. Have normal conversation. Roter, D. 2011 Nursing Outlook

  39. 7 Health Literacy Steps to Improve Patient Education • Slow down • Avoid medical jargon, use living room language • Use pictures, teaching tools (pamphlets, brown bag meds) • Limit information – write brief take home information • Focus on need to know and do • Repeat and summarize info • ‘Teach back’/’show back’ to confirm understanding

  40. Strategy for Limiting InformationLessons learned from patients Tell me 3 • What’s wrong? (briefly) (Diagnosis) • What do I need to do? (Treatment) • Why is it important that I do this? (Benefit/Context) If meds – “break it down” for me • What’s it for? (indication) • When to take? Howmany pills at a time, how long? (duration) • Why? (benefit) • What to expect? (side effects)

  41. Pictures Can be Good Teaching Tools Patients may not understand or use measurements Fruits and Veggies Proteins Healthy Carbs

  42. Confirm Patient Understanding‘Teach back’ Improves Outcomes • Ask patients to “teach back/ show back” key messages • Avoid asking: • Do you understand? • Do you have any questions? • Remember - what’s clear to you is clear to you! Schilinger, D. Arch Int Med, 2003

  43. What About Research?Literacy is an easy, yet informative variable to add • Years of schooling is NOT a good measure of literacy level (reading comprehension often 2-5 grade levels < education level). • Several tests measure literacy in healthcare research. Some have math sections. • All existing tests measure literacy in health context (i.e. not health literacy). • These formal assessments provide a proxy measure of health literacy and can be used to compare results in the literature. • Patient’s score on literacy test is an indication they may struggle to understand and act on oral or written health information.

  44. Literacy Tests Used in Healthcare Research • The most commonly used • REALM (Rapid Estimate of Literacy Medicine) • TOFHLA (Test of Functional Health Literacy) • NVS (Newest Vital Sign) • These are sometimes referred to as tests of health literacy • Qualitative: • How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself? • Extremely – Quite A Bit – Somewhat – A Little Bit – Not At All • ( 0 ) ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) Tests and ordering instructions are in resources at the end of the presentation.

  45. Cautions About Assessing Health Literacy Clinically • Testing patient literacy level alone will NOT confirm ability to understand and act on health information. • No evidence that literacy testing improves health care delivery or outcomes when testing is done strictly for clinical use. • To get the most accurate measure of patient’s specific health literacy clinically use “teach back.” • “Universal precautions” (plain language) are recommended to make materials user-friendly.

  46. Health Literacy Research Ideas Expand technology for patient outreach • Cell phones for automated calls /texts, EHR mandates Make health numeracy easier to interpret and act on Address current health care challenges • Hospital discharge, health insurance Add cost effectiveness if possible Don’t forget your consent form • Can patients read and understand it • Is it formatted for reading ease? • Is the information included manageable or overwhelming?

  47. Are We Prepared? A Perfect Storm is Approaching Intersection of declining literacy, increasing immigrant, minority & elderly populations, and the increasing demands of health care & society

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