Health literacy assessment
Health literacy refers to the constellation of skills needed for an individual to function effectively in the healthcare environment and act appropriately on health information. Patients with limited health literacy may have difficulty understanding written medical information, communicating with healthcare providers and navigating the healthcare system. This translates into a series of adverse patient outcomes and increased healthcare costs.
In patients with kidney disease, limited health literacy has been associated with poorer disease understanding, worse blood pressure control, decreased adherence, increased health resource utilization and mortality. Researchers at the KHRI are investigating the relationships between health literacy and health outcomes, and designing interventions to improve both.
Related publications
Associations of health literacy with self-management behaviors and clinical outcomes in patients with kidney disease
Prevalence and Demographic and Clinical Associations of Health Literacy in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.
Green JA, Mor MK, Shields AM, Sevick MA, Palevsky PM, Fine MJ, Arnold RM, Weisbord SD.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011 Jun;6(6):1354-60. PMID: 21551025.
Associations of Health Literacy with Dialysis Adherence and Health Resource Utilization in Patients Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis.
Green JA, Mor MK, Shields AM, Sevick MA, Arnold RM, Palevsky PM, Fine MJ, Weisbord SD.
Am J Kidney Dis. 2013 Jul;62(1):73-80. PMID: 23352380.
Evaluation of a single-item screening question to detect limited health literacy in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Jain D, Sheth H, Bender FH, Weisbord SD, Green JA.
Adv Perit Dial. 2014;30:27-30. PMID: 25338418.
Health Literacy in Patients on Maintenance Peritoneal Dialysis: Prevalence and Outcomes.
Jain D, Sheth H, Green JA, Bender FH, Weisbord SD.
Perit Dial Int. 2015 1-2;35(1):96-98. PMID: 25700462.