Introduction to Health Information Literacy

Developed by the Medical Library Association under contract and working with the National Library of Medicine

April 2008

Learning Objectives

Describe the impact low health literacy has on quality patient care

Define health information literacy and the challenges patients and consumer face

List five Internet-based consumer health information resources

Demonstrate the ability to use ‘information Rx’ to improve health literacy

Describe the health information literacy services provided your librarian

What is Health Literacy?

“The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”

Healthy People 2010

What Does Low Health Literacy Look Like?

This slide contains a video clip of patients discussing their health literacy experiences.

Patients describe their difficulties reading medication labels, understanding informed consent, and following instructions.

You Can’t Tell by Looking by AMA Foundation Health LiteracyYou Can’t Tell by Looking by AMA Foundation Health Literacy www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html

Why is Health Literacy Important?

Health literacy is increasingly recognized as a barrier to quality health care and is linked to:

Increased medical error Poor knowledge about health Under utilization of preventive health care Increased hospitalization Increased health care costs Poor health outcomes

Why Now?

Healthy People 2010 (DHHS 2000)

Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion (IOM 2004)

Evidence Report/Literacy and Health (AHRQ 2004)

17th Surgeon General of the United States - Dr. Richard Carmona (2006)

Why Hospitals?

“The safety of patients cannot be assured without mitigating the negative effects of low health literacy and ineffective communication on patient care.”

The Joint Commission

What is Health Information Literacy and What are the Challenges?

How is Information Critical to Health Literacy?

Health information is key to:

Effective patient and provider communication

Shared health care decision making Understanding and following a

treatment plan Recognizing when to seek care Learning about and adopting healthy

behaviors

What is Health Information Literacy?

The abilities needed to:

Recognize a health information need

Identify relevant sources of information

Assess the quality of the information

Use the information to make good health decisions

What are the Health Information Literacy Challenges?

Health Literacy in the U.S.

Readability of Health Information

Computers and the Internet

Health Literacy in the U.S.

Over 75 million Over 75 million adults have adults have BasicBasic and and Below Below BasicBasic health health literacyliteracy

Only 1 in 9 Only 1 in 9 adults have adults have proficient health proficient health literacy skillsliteracy skills

Number & Percentage of Adults in Each Number & Percentage of Adults in Each Health Literacy LevelHealth Literacy Level

Source: 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Source: 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. National Center for Education StatiticsNational Center for Education Statitics http://nces.ed.gov/Pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006483

Computers and the Internet

80% of Internet users search for health information

86% do not seek advice about which websites to use

72% express trust in most or all information found online

68% said online information impacted their health choices

Source: Fox, S. & Fallows, D. Internet Health Resources. Washington, DC:Source: Fox, S. & Fallows, D. Internet Health Resources. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & Pew Internet & American Life Project (2003).American Life Project (2003).

Readability of Health Information

Numerous student document health materials written at reading levels far exceeding patient skills

More recent studies find similar results looking at the readability and usability of consumer health information resources

Health Information Literacy

Resources

Consumer Health Information Websites Cancer.gov * Familydoctor.org * Healthfinder.gov * Kidshealth.org * AidsInfo.nih.gov CDC.gov * Medlineplus.gov * Noah-health.org *

*Available in Spanish *Available in Spanish and/or other languagesand/or other languages

www.medlineplus.govwww.medlineplus.gov

Interactive Health TutorialsInteractive Health Tutorials

www.kidshealth.orgwww.kidshealth.org

NIHSeniorHealth.govNIHSeniorHealth.gov

www.aidsinfo.nih.govwww.aidsinfo.nih.gov

www.kidshealth.orgwww.kidshealth.org

Information for Parents, Kids, and TeensInformation for Parents, Kids, and Teenswww.kidshealth.orgwww.kidshealth.org

Health Information Literacy

Strategies

www.informationrx.orgwww.informationrx.org

Deciphering Medspeak

Medical Library Association’s

Consumer Health Brochures HIV Cancer Diabetes Asthma Others

www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/index.htmlwww.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/index.html

Strategies to Improve Communication

Limit information (3-5 key points)

Use easy-to-read information and handouts to support learning

Be specific and concrete, demonstrate

Check for understanding, use a “Teach Back” or “Show Me” approach

Acknowledge cultural differences

How Can Librarians Help?

Help patients find information they can use and understand

Fill Information Rxs with accurate and reliable information

Teach patients and consumer Search skillsSearch skills Assessment skillsAssessment skills

How Can Librarians Help?

Free access to the Internet

Patients information packets

Consumer health information services – community outreach

Health literacy training

Take Home Points

Health information is essential to providing quality care

Use Info Rx to refer patients to reliable health information and to the hospital library for support

Thank You!

Questions

Comments

References

AHRQ Report—Literacy and Health Outcomes (2004): http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/litsum.htm

AMA Foundation Health LiteracyAMA Foundation Health Literacy:: www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.htmlwww.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8115.html

Healthy People 2010 (2000): http://www.healthypeople.gov

Healthy People 2010 Health Literacy Action Plan—Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for Progress (2003): http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/projects/healthcomm/objective2.htm

IOM Report—Health Literacy: A Prescription To End Confusion (2004): http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=19723

References

NLM Bibliography—Understanding Health Literacy and Its Barriers (2004): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/healthliteracybarriers.html

The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006483http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006483

The Joint Commission Report: “What did the Doctor The Joint Commission Report: “What did the Doctor Say?:” Improving Health Literacy To Protect Patient Say?:” Improving Health Literacy To Protect Patient Safety (2007):Safety (2007): www.jointcommission.org/PublicPolicy/health_literacy.htmwww.jointcommission.org/PublicPolicy/health_literacy.htm

Medical Library Association, Top 10 Most Useful Medical Library Association, Top 10 Most Useful Websites Websites www.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/topten.htmlwww.mlanet.org/resources/medspeak/topten.html