China
Africa
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Mental Health in Lifestyle Medicine
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Improving health literacy is a worthy goal and can help empower patients to make sound, health-promoting decisions and improve outcomes. As nurses spend more time with patients than other healthcare team members and develop intimate therapeutic caregiving relationships, they are ideally positioned to help patients access information and resources about lifestyle medicine approaches that benefit their health and their families.
Living in a Foreign Land
Published in Vincent La Placa, Julia Morgan, Social Science Perspectives on Global Public Health, 2023
Even if access to healthcare is granted by the host country, other barriers to accessing healthcare exist. Key barriers include language and cultural differences, lack of culturally appropriate services, low levels of health literacy, and inadequate use of interpreting services (WHO, 2021a). In accordance with the Socio-Ecological model, barriers do not stand by themselves but interact with barriers at other levels. For example, the post migration social conditions of refugees and migrants often place them at the lower end of the social gradient (Hynie, 2018) and refugees and migrants have been described as marginalised and stigmatised by their ethnic identity, as well as their temporary status (individual and structural factors). Health literacy, defined as ‘the ability to find, understand and use information to promote and maintain good health’ (UNICEF, 2021), is low for refugees and migrants and has been related to poor health outcomes (WHO, 2021a). Part of low health literacy is the lack of understanding of the host country’s healthcare system, leading to refugees and migrants experiencing difficulties in navigating healthcare systems. Difficulties in making appointments, not knowing where to go, or ability to pay for transport have been reported as barriers (Cheng et al., 2015; van der Boor and White, 2020), (individual, institutional and structural factors).
The Patient Empowerment Movement
Published in Disa Lee Choun, Anca Petre, Digital Health and Patient Data, 2023
Studies also show that often patients need health providers to explain and contextualize the information available online. They seek reassurance more than they question the skills and the knowledge of the medical team. Addressing this need alone can reinforce the doctor–patient relationship and allow patients to feel more considered and involved in their own care.18 An increasing need for health literacy demands better access to information for patients and communication skills for healthcare providers.
Effectiveness of the refined health literacy course on improving the health literacy competencies of undergraduate nursing students: quantitative and qualitative perspectives
Published in Medical Education Online, 2023
Mei-Chuan Chang, Jui-Hung Yu, Jyh-Gang Hsieh, Mi-Hsiu Wei, Ying-Wei Wang
Health literacy is a critical determinant of an individual’s health status [1] and a crucial issue for global health promotion [2]. United States Healthy People 2030 defines personal health literacy as ‘the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others’ [3]. Individuals with limited health literacy may face multiple challenges owing to difficulty understanding and applying health information. They may not understand their doctors’ explanations for illnesses, read drug labels and health education leaflets correctly, or know how to ask questions. All these problems could affect self-care and medical decision-making [4,5]. Regarding the issue of health literacy, the difficulty and complexity of messages in the healthcare environment in which individuals live are relevant factors [6]. To help patients with limited health literacy, healthcare professionals must communicate in plain language, confirm patients’ understanding of information, provide easy-to-read printed messages, and assist patients in medical decision-making. Therefore, developing healthcare professionals’ capabilities to follow health literacy practices is an important strategy to promote health-literate healthcare [7].
Adaptation of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) for Karen refugees: factor analysis
Published in Social Work in Health Care, 2023
Wooksoo Kim, Jangmin Kim, Krisztina Baltimore, Isok Kim
In addition to the importance of enhancing an individual’s health literacy, the role of healthcare providers and healthcare systems is paramount. Providers and administrative professionals across healthcare settings bear a significant responsibility in ensuring that health information is accessible, readable, and understandable in spite of potential language barriers so that minority populations are empowered to make their own health-related decisions. Enhancing health literacy among minority populations largely depends on the cultural competence of healthcare providers. Research has shown that cultural competence is associated with higher engagement in greater patient satisfaction particularly among minority communities (Mygind et al., 2008; Weech-Maldonado et al., 2012). Unfortunately, Asian immigrants and refugees in particular have reported unfavorable interactions with the healthcare system – citing a lack of cultural competence from providers as a key factor in their lack of engagement with healthcare services (Ngo-Metzger; Taira et al., 2001). To address this issue, it is critical to implement cultural competence training, which involves being aware of and respectful toward other cultures, values, and beliefs, among interpreters, physicians, and providers to provide adequate and accessible healthcare across healthcare settings serving minority populations (Harrison et al., 2019; Nair & Adetayo, 2019).
Health literacy and knowledge of female reproduction in undergraduate students
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2023
Health literacy is the ability of individuals to understand health-related information that is necessary to make informed decisions about healthcare.2 In 2003, Americans ages 16 and over (n = 19,000) were surveyed as part of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. According to survey results, 36% of adults have basic or below basic health literacy skills.2 Individuals with less than intermediate health literacy skills may have difficulty understanding information, making informed decisions, and navigating the complex healthcare system. Healthcare professionals consistently overestimate the health literacy of patients, and, therefore, fail to teach information in a way patients can understand.3,4 In addition, low health literacy is associated with increased use of costly services such as emergency departments and hospitals and lower use of preventative services such as mammography.5