ANSWER
Clinical Practice and Health Literacy
The Practical Aspect of Health Literacy
One of the biggest problems I encountered as an intensive care unit nurse was a diabetic patient who was having trouble comprehending their discharge instructions. The patient’s low health literacy made it difficult for them to understand food advice and insulin administration instructions. Within two weeks, this led to a readmission due to medication mistakes and poor glucose control. The incident made clear how crucial it is to make medical information easier to understand and simplify it in order to enhance patient outcomes.
Evidence-Based Methods for Increasing Health Literacy
1. The teach-back approach
By asking patients to repeat instructions in their own words, the teach-back method makes sure they grasp them. With this method, nurses may quickly address misunderstandings and confirm understanding.
Supporting Evidence: Ha Dinh et al. (2016) discovered that the teach-back approach enhanced patient understanding and treatment plan compliance, especially for long-term illnesses like diabetes.
Implementation: By including this technique into education and discharge planning meetings, patients will be better equipped to manage their health outside of the clinical setting.
2. Simplified Communication Tools: Patients with poor literacy levels might better understand health information when medical ideas are explained using simple language and visual aids (such as diagrams and movies).
Evidence Support: A comprehensive review by McCaffery et al. (2019) found that visual aids help patients, particularly those with poor literacy or language challenges, better understand and remember medical instructions.
Implementation: To supplement spoken explanations in patient education materials, nurses can include infographics and visual instructions.
In conclusion
Patient outcomes are significantly impacted by health literacy. Healthcare providers may equip patients with the information and self-assurance they need to properly manage their diseases by putting evidence-based practices like the teach-back approach and streamlined communication tools into practice.
Citations
Bonner, A., Clark, R., Ramsbotham, J., Ha Dinh, T. T., & Hines, S. (2016). A comprehensive assessment of the teach-back method’s impact on self-management and adherence in health education for those with chronic illnesses. 210–247 in JBI Evidence Synthesis, 14(1). 10.11124/jbisrir-2016-2296 https://doi.org
Muscat, D. M., Smith, S. K., McCaffery, K. J., Morony, S., & Shepherd, H. L. (2019). How health literacy can be enhanced through graphic assistance. 102(4), 698-704; Patient Education and Counseling. 10.1016/j.pec.2018.11.017 | https://doi.org
QUESTION
This week as we continue our discussion on health promotion, we will begin to look at health literacy. Health literacy affects everyone we treat. When thinking of health literacy and your current practice or experiences based on the readings and content this week, answer the following prompts:
- Describe an issue where health literacy posed a problem in your practice or experience.
- Research and describe two evidence-based strategies that can be used to promote health literacy in the clinical setting. Support this response with in-text citations and APA-formatted scholarly reference