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90-580: The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital ( RBWH ) is a tertiary public hospital located in Herston , a suburb of Brisbane , Queensland , Australia. It is operated by Metro North Health , part of the Queensland Health network. The hospital has 929 beds, and it is estimated that 65% of the patients served come from within 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of the hospital. It is the largest hospital in Australia, and

180-422: A "Solicitation for Written Comments on an Updated Health Literacy Definition for Healthy People". Several proposals address the fact that "health literacy is multidimensional", being the result of a concerted effort that involves the individual seeking care or information, providers and caregivers, the complexity and demands of the system, and the use of plain language for communication. Health literacy encompasses

270-426: A "teach back" method have shown to be effective tools to communicating essential health topics with health illiterate patients. A program called "Ask Me 3" is designed to bring public and physician attention to this issue, by letting patients know that they should ask three questions each time they talk to a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist: There have also been large-scale efforts to improve health literacy. For example,

360-642: A basic framework for defining the sector, the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification categorizes health care as generally consisting of hospital activities, medical and dental practice activities, and "other human health activities." The last class involves activities of, or under the supervision of, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, scientific or diagnostic laboratories, pathology clinics, residential health facilities, patient advocates or other allied health professions . In addition, according to industry and market classifications, such as

450-552: A challenge for the design of ICT (information and communication technology) for home care. Because statistics show that over 80 million Americans have taken time off of their primary employment to care for a loved one, many countries have begun offering programs such as the Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Program to allow family members to take care of their loved ones without giving up their entire income. With obesity in children rapidly becoming

540-608: A clear correlation between worse quality and higher spending. Expand the OECD charts below to see the breakdown: The management and administration of health care is vital to the delivery of health care services. In particular, the practice of health professionals and the operation of health care institutions is typically regulated by national or state/provincial authorities through appropriate regulatory bodies for purposes of quality assurance . Most countries have credentialing staff in regulatory boards or health departments who document

630-425: A condition that has increased risk of low health literacy levels among individuals. Nonetheless, studies that do exist indicate that homeless individuals experience increased prevalence of low health literacy and poor health—both physical and mental—due to vulnerabilities brought on by the insecurity of basic needs among homeless individuals. The combination of poor health and homelessness has been found to increase

720-591: A gain of 10 years since 1970. The US (78.7 years) ranges only on place 26 among the 34 OECD member countries, but has the highest costs by far. All OECD countries have achieved universal (or almost universal) health coverage, except the US and Mexico . (see also international comparisons .) In the United States , where around 18% of GDP is spent on health care, the Commonwealth Fund analysis of spend and quality shows

810-441: A licensed independent practitioner such as a physiotherapist , or a non-physician primary care provider such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner . Depending on the locality and health system organization, the patient may see another health care professional first, such as a pharmacist or nurse . Depending on the nature of the health condition, patients may be referred for secondary or tertiary care. Primary care

900-419: A major concern, health services often set up programs in schools aimed at educating children about nutritional eating habits, making physical education a requirement and teaching young adolescents to have a positive self-image. Health care ratings are ratings or evaluations of health care used to evaluate the process of care and health care structures and/or outcomes of health care services. This information

990-602: A multitude of health information via the Internet, access alone does not ensure that proper search skills and techniques are being used to find the most relevant online and electronic resources. As the line between a reputable medical source and an amateur opinion can often be blurred, the ability to differentiate between the two is important. Health literacy requires a combination of several different literacy skills in order to facilitate eHealth promotion and care. Six core skills are delineated by an eHealth literacy model referred to as

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1080-522: A number of European countries demonstrating that health literacy is limited in a large proportion of the general population, and the publication of WHO’s report Health Literacy: The solid facts (2013), WHO/Europe initiated the Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL). 28 European counties are involved in M-POHL and measure health literacy in the population regularly. In

1170-468: A part of the healthcare environment, it is important for information technology to be properly utilized to promote health and deliver health care effectively.The utilization of digital health information resources and the integration of digital interactions with healthcare providers offer significant advantages, with the potential to enhance healthcare system efficiency, quality, and accessibility, all while empowering patients. It has also been suggested that

1260-529: A particular health problem. It has become an important topic of research due to the increasing use of the internet for health information seeking and health information distribution. Stellefson (2011) states, "8 out of 10 Internet users report that they have at least once looked online for health information, making it the third most popular Web activity next to checking email and using search engines in terms of activities that almost everybody has done." Though in recent years, individuals may have gained access to

1350-403: A patient's ability to understand that content can lead to medication errors and adverse medical outcomes. Health literacy skills are not only a problem in the general population. Health care professionals (doctors, nurses, public health workers) can also have poor health literacy skills, such as a reduced ability to clearly explain health issues to patients and the public. In addition to tailoring

1440-652: A person's understanding of medical concepts, literature searching, basic statistics, and design of experiments and samples. Standardized measures of health literacy are the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), which asks people about a nutrition label, and the Test of Functional Health Literacy (TOFHLA), which asks test-takers to fill in 36 blanks in patient instructions for X-rays and a Medicaid application, from multiple choices, and 4 numbers in medicine dosage forms. The European Health Literacy Population Survey Following studies in

1530-400: A primary care practitioner must possess a wide breadth of knowledge in many areas. Continuity is a key characteristic of primary care, as patients usually prefer to consult the same practitioner for routine check-ups and preventive care , health education , and every time they require an initial consultation about a new health problem. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC)

1620-651: A public information program by the US Department of Health and Human Services encourages patients to improve healthcare quality and avoid errors by asking questions about health conditions and treatment. Additionally, the IROHLA (Intervention Research on Health Literacy of the Ageing population) project, funded by the European Union (EU), seeks to develop evidence-based guidelines for policy and practice to improve health literacy of

1710-633: A short period of time for a brief but serious illness, injury, or other health condition. This care is often found in a hospital emergency department . Secondary care also includes skilled attendance during childbirth , intensive care , and medical imaging services. The term "secondary care" is sometimes used synonymously with "hospital care". However, many secondary care providers, such as psychiatrists , clinical psychologists , occupational therapists , most dental specialties or physiotherapists , do not necessarily work in hospitals. Some primary care services are delivered within hospitals. Depending on

1800-986: A significant part of a country's economy , development, and industrialization . Health care is an important determinant in promoting the general physical and mental health and well-being of people around the world. An example of this was the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980, declared by the WHO, as the first disease in human history to be eliminated by deliberate healthcare interventions. The delivery of modern health care depends on groups of trained professionals and paraprofessionals coming together as interdisciplinary teams . This includes professionals in medicine , psychology , physiotherapy , nursing , dentistry , midwifery and allied health , along with many others such as public health practitioners , community health workers and assistive personnel , who systematically provide personal and population-based preventive, curative and rehabilitative care services. While

1890-409: A social determinant of health that offers a powerful opportunity to reduce inequities in health. Health literacy is important in a community because it addresses health inequalities . It is no coincidence that individuals with lower levels of health literacy live, disproportionately, in communities with lower socio-economic standing. A barrier to achieving adequate health literacy for these individuals

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1980-464: A specific problem domain (can solely be applied to health). The six literacies are listed below, the first three of the analytic type and the latter three of the context-specific: According to Norman (2006), both analytical and context-specific literacy skills are "required to fully engage with electronic health resources." As the World Wide Web and technological innovations are more and more becoming

2070-409: A standard informed consent form, or materials about scheduling an appointment. The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) conducted by the US Department of Education found that 36% of participants scored as either "basic" or "below basic" in terms of their health literacy and concluded that approximately 80 million Americans have limited health literacy. Results of a systematic review of

2160-543: A time it was also known as Brisbane General Hospital . In the 19th century the hospital dealt with some severe cases of tropical diseases due to Queensland's predominantly tropical climate. The hospital was created by the merging of the Royal Brisbane Hospital and the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital in 2003. The women's hospital was demolished first, in 1998, to make way for the new building, after which

2250-696: A wide range of skills, and competencies that people develop over their lifetimes to seek out, comprehend, evaluate, and use health information and concepts to make informed choices, reduce health risks, and increase quality of life. A more robust view of health literacy includes the ability to understand scientific concepts , content, and health research; skills in spoken, written, and online communication; critical interpretation of mass media messages; navigating complex systems of health care and governance; knowledge and use of community capital and resources; and using cultural and indigenous knowledge in health decision making. This integrative view sees health literacy as

2340-566: Is a lack of awareness, or understanding of, information and resources relevant to improving their health. This knowledge gap arises from both patients being unable to understand information presented to them and hospitals' inadequate efforts and materials to address these literacy gaps. The levels of health literacy are considered adequate when the population has sufficient knowledge, skills, and confidence to guide their own health, and people are able to stay healthy, recover from illness, and/or live with disability or disease. Many factors determine

2430-459: Is a larger program put in – one that includes strategies outlining how to quit smoking, raises tobacco prices, reduces access to tobacco by minors, and reflects the social unacceptability of smoking – it will be much more effective. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests a National Action Plan to implement a comprehensive Health Literacy Program. They include seven goals: These goals should be taken into account when implementing

2520-668: Is a major teaching and research hospital. The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is located in the broader the Herston Health Precinct, which includes other facilities such as the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS). The main building of the Bowen Hospital as it was initially known, was designed by Charles Tiffin and others. For

2610-492: Is a primary contributing factor to health disparities , it is a continued and increasing concern for health professionals. The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) conducted by the US Department of Education found that 36% of participants scored as either "basic" or "below basic" in terms of their health literacy and concluded that approximately 80 million Americans have limited health literacy. These individuals have difficulty with common health tasks including reading

2700-494: Is a standardized tool for understanding and analyzing information on interventions in primary care based on the reason for the patient's visit. Common chronic illnesses usually treated in primary care may include, for example, hypertension , diabetes , asthma , COPD , depression and anxiety , back pain , arthritis or thyroid dysfunction . Primary care also includes many basic maternal and child health care services, such as family planning services and vaccinations . In

2790-456: Is a very effective and direct way to understand from a patient's point of view how they feel about interacting with their healthcare provider and understanding their health condition. Individuals facing homelessness constitute a population that holds intersectional identities, is highly mobile, and is often out of the public eye. Thus the difficulty of conducting research on this group has resulted in little information regarding homelessness as

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2880-427: Is also increased. This trend is compounded by other risk factors of low health literacy, including poverty. Homelessness and housing insecurity can hinder good health and recovery in attempts to better health circumstances, causing the exacerbation of poor health conditions. In these cases, a variety of health services may be used repeatedly as health issues are prolonged. Thus overall expenditures on health services

2970-417: Is considered necessary, regardless of whether the funding is from private insurance schemes or national health insurance . Allied health professionals , such as physical therapists , respiratory therapists , occupational therapists , speech therapists , and dietitians , also generally work in secondary care, accessed through either patient self-referral or through physician referral. Tertiary care

3060-644: Is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields . Medicine , dentistry , pharmacy , midwifery , nursing , optometry , audiology , psychology , occupational therapy , physical therapy , athletic training , and other health professions all constitute health care. The term includes work done in providing primary care , secondary care , tertiary care , and public health . Access to healthcare may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions and health policies . Providing health care services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve

3150-440: Is greater among populations with low health literacy and poor health. These costs may be left to individuals and families to pay which may further burden health conditions, or the costs may be left to a variety of institutions which in turn has broader implications for government funding and health care systems. Low levels of health literacy is responsible for 3–5% of healthcare cost—approximately $ 143 to 7,798 per individual within

3240-560: Is in this area of provider-patient communication that health literacy efforts have been strongest. Patients and consumers in general need to understand concepts that professionals often refer to in technical terms. Health professionals must know their audience in order to better serve their patients and general readers or listeners. Plain language is defined by the International Plain Language Federation as writing whose "wording, structure, and design are so clear that

3330-574: Is often used as the term for the health care services that play a role in the local community. It can be provided in different settings, such as Urgent care centers that provide same-day appointments or services on a walk-in basis. Primary care involves the widest scope of health care, including all ages of patients, patients of all socioeconomic and geographic origins, patients seeking to maintain optimal health , and patients with all types of acute and chronic physical, mental and social health issues, including multiple chronic diseases . Consequently,

3420-502: Is seen from the analysis carried out each year by Bloomberg. Clearly this kind of analysis is flawed in that life expectancy is only one measure of a health system's performance, but equally, the notion that more funding is better is not supported. In 2011, the health care industry consumed an average of 9.3 percent of the GDP or US$ 3,322 ( PPP-adjusted ) per capita across the 34 members of OECD countries. The US (17.7%, or US$ PPP 8,508),

3510-622: Is sometimes used as an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed. Experimental medicine and some types of uncommon diagnostic or surgical procedures are considered quaternary care. These services are usually only offered in a limited number of regional or national health care centers. Many types of health care interventions are delivered outside of health facilities. They include many interventions of public health interest, such as food safety surveillance, distribution of condoms and needle-exchange programs for

3600-545: Is specialized consultative health care, usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or secondary health professional, in a facility that has personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation and treatment, such as a tertiary referral hospital . Examples of tertiary care services are cancer management, neurosurgery , cardiac surgery , plastic surgery , treatment for severe burns , advanced neonatology services, palliative, and other complex medical and surgical interventions. The term quaternary care

3690-414: Is translated into report cards that are generated by quality organizations, nonprofit, consumer groups and media. This evaluation of quality is based on measures of: Access to healthcare may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions as well as health policies . Providing health care services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve

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3780-647: The Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark , health care includes many categories of medical equipment, instruments and services including biotechnology , diagnostic laboratories and substances, drug manufacturing and delivery. For example, pharmaceuticals and other medical devices are the leading high technology exports of Europe and the United States. The United States dominates

3870-544: The Netherlands (11.9%, 5,099), France (11.6%, 4,118), Germany (11.3%, 4,495), Canada (11.2%, 5669), and Switzerland (11%, 5,634) were the top spenders, however life expectancy in total population at birth was highest in Switzerland (82.8 years), Japan and Italy (82.7), Spain and Iceland (82.4), France (82.2) and Australia (82.0), while OECD's average exceeds 80 years for the first time ever in 2011: 80.1 years,

3960-481: The biopharmaceutical field, accounting for three-quarters of the world's biotechnology revenues. The quantity and quality of many health care interventions are improved through the results of science, such as advanced through the medical model of health which focuses on the eradication of illness through diagnosis and effective treatment. Many important advances have been made through health research, biomedical research and pharmaceutical research , which form

4050-445: The certification or licensing of health workers and their work history. Health information technology (HIT) is "the application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision making." Health information technology components: Health literacy Since health literacy

4140-433: The elderly , ethnic minorities , recent immigrants , individuals facing homelessness , and persons with low general literacy . These populations have a higher risk of hospitalization, longer hospital stays, are less likely to comply with treatment, are more likely to make errors with medication, and are more ill when they initially seek medical care. The mismatch between a clinician's communication of content and

4230-536: The social model of health and disability , which emphasizes the societal changes that can be made to make populations healthier. Results from health services research often form the basis of evidence-based policy in health care systems. Health services research is also aided by initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence for the development of systems of health assessment that are clinically useful, timely, sensitive to change, culturally sensitive , low-burden, low-cost, built into standard procedures, and involve

4320-504: The Health Literacy Survey 2019 (HLS19) 17 countries were involved. To measure general health literacy the instrument HLS-EU-Q12 - a short form of the original HLS-EU-Q47 instrument was used in this survey. Low health literacy negatively affects the treatment outcome and safety of care delivery. The lack of health literacy affects all segments of the population. However, it is disproportionate in certain demographic groups, such as

4410-460: The Lily model. The Lily model's six literacies are organized into two central types: analytic and context-specific. Analytic type literacies are those skills that can be applied to a broad range of sources, regardless of topic or content (i.e., skills that can also be applied to shopping or researching a term paper in addition to health) whereas context-specific skills are those that are contextualized within

4500-562: The U.S., in the year 2010, who reported that their health care providers always explained things so they could understand them was about 60.6%. This number increased 1% from 2007 to 2010. The Healthy People 2020 initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has included health literacy as a pressing new topic, with objectives for improving it in the decade to come. In planning for Healthy People 2030 (the fifth edition of Healthy People), HHS issued

4590-602: The United States (2 minute administration time) for the clinical setting. The METER includes many words from the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) test. The Short Assessment of Health Literacy in Spanish and English populations (SAHL-S&E) uses word recognition and multiple choice questions to test a person's comprehension. The CHC-Test measures Critical Health Competencies and consists of 72 items designed to test

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4680-466: The United States incorporate a health class in their curriculum. These classes are an opportunity to facilitate and develop health literacy in today's children and adolescents by teaching skills of how to read food labels, the meaning of common medical terms, the structure of the human body, and education on the most prevalent diseases in the United States. The National Library of Medicine defines health literacy as: "The degree to which individuals have

4770-416: The United States, the 2013 National Health Interview Survey found that skin disorders (42.7%), osteoarthritis and joint disorders (33.6%), back problems (23.9%), disorders of lipid metabolism (22.4%), and upper respiratory tract disease (22.1%, excluding asthma) were the most common reasons for accessing a physician. In the United States, primary care physicians have begun to deliver primary care outside of

4860-886: The United States, the education system consists of K–12 curricula. In addition to this standard educational setting, adult education programs allow individuals to develop traditional literacy skills founded in comprehension and real-world application of knowledge via reading and writing. Tools for educational development provided by these systems impact an individual's capacity to obtain specific knowledge regarding health. Reflecting components of traditional literacy such as cultural and conceptual knowledge, oral literacy (listening and speaking), print literacy (reading and writing), and numeracy, education systems are also potential intervention points for health literacy development. A successful health literacy program will have many goals that all work together to improve health literacy. Many people assume these goals should communicate health information to

4950-474: The acute hospital was demolished. In the same year the hospital precinct was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register . In January 2008, there was a public health scare over concerns about lead levels at the hospital. Concerns were dismissed by Queensland Health after air and surface swabs carried out found lead levels were safely below recommended standards. In February 2008, the hospital

5040-613: The ageing population in EU member states. The project has developed a framework and identified and validated interventions which together constitute a comprehensive approach of addressing health literacy needs of the elderly. Low health literacy is associated with poorer knowledge of diabetes and leads to a lower quality self-management of the condition. eHealth literacy describes an individual's ability to search for, access, comprehend, and appraise desired health information from electronic sources and to then use such information to attempt to address

5130-662: The basis for evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice in health care delivery. Health care research frequently engages directly with patients, and as such issues for whom to engage and how to engage with them become important to consider when seeking to actively include them in studies. While single best practice does not exist, the results of a systematic review on patient engagement suggest that research methods for patient selection need to account for both patient availability and willingness to engage. Health services research can lead to greater efficiency and equitable delivery of health care interventions, as advanced through

5220-501: The best possible health outcomes". Factors to consider in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), geographical and logistical barriers (such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services), sociocultural expectations, and personal limitations (lack of ability to communicate with health care providers, poor health literacy , low income). Limitations to health care services affect negatively

5310-502: The best possible health outcomes". Factors to consider in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), geographical and logistical barriers (such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services), sociocultural expectations, and personal limitations (lack of ability to communicate with health care providers, poor health literacy , low income). Limitations to health care services affects negatively

5400-551: The capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health literacy information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." Based on this clinical definition, health literacy gives individuals the skills that they need to both understand and effectively communicate information and concerns. The health literacy framework highlights the health outcomes and costs associated with health contexts including cognitive abilities, social skills, emotional state, and physical conditions such as visual and auditory contributions, bridging

5490-536: The content of what health professionals communicate to their patients, a well arranged layout, pertinent illustrations, and intuitive format of written materials can improve the usability of health care literature. This in turn can help in effective communication between healthcare providers and their patients. Outcomes of low levels of health literacy also include relative expenditures on health services. Because individuals with low health literacy are more likely to have adverse health statuses, their use of health services

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5580-470: The context of global population aging , with increasing numbers of older adults at greater risk of chronic non-communicable diseases , rapidly increasing demand for primary care services is expected in both developed and developing countries. The World Health Organization attributes the provision of essential primary care as an integral component of an inclusive primary health care strategy. Secondary care includes acute care : necessary treatment for

5670-438: The definitions of the various types of health care vary depending on the different cultural , political, organizational, and disciplinary perspectives, there appears to be some consensus that primary care constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process and may also include the provision of secondary and tertiary levels of care. Health care can be defined as either public or private . Primary care refers to

5760-447: The education systems that they are engaged with, their health systems, and societal factors as they relate to health literacy, these points are not components of a causal model. Cultural and societal influences are a significant intervention point for health literacy development, referring to shared ideas, meanings, and values that influence an individual's beliefs and attitudes. As interactions with healthcare systems often first occur at

5850-613: The family level, deeply rooted beliefs and values can shape the experience. Components that reflect the development of health literacy both culturally and societally are native language, socioeconomic status, gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as mass media exposure. The health system is an intervention point in the health literacy framework. For the purposes of this framework, health literacy refers to an individual's interaction with people performing health-related activities in settings such as hospitals, clinics, physician's offices, home health care, public health agencies, and insurers. In

5940-441: The gap between literacy skills and the ability of the individual in health contexts. Three potential intervention points are culture and society, the health system, and the education system. Health outcomes and costs are the products of the health literacy developed during diversity of exposure to these three potential intervention points. While these potential intervention points include interactions such as those of individuals and

6030-425: The general public; however, in order to be successful, the goals should not only communicate with people but also take into account social and environmental factors that influence lifestyle choices. A good example of this is the movement to end smoking. When a health literacy program is put into place where only the negative side effects of smoking are told to the general public it is doomed to fail. However, when there

6120-564: The goals of the National Action Plan is to incorporate health and science information in childcare and education through the university level. The target is to educate people at an early stage; that way individuals are raised with health literacy and will have a better quality of life. The earlier an individual is exposed to health literacy skills the better for the person and the community. Programs such as Head Start and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have impacted society, especially

6210-483: The health literacy level of health education materials or interventions: readability of the text, the patient's current state of health, language barriers between the clinician and patient, cultural appropriateness of the materials, format and style, sentence structure, use of illustrations, and numerous other factors. A study of 69,000 patients conducted in 1995 by two US hospitals found that between 26% and 60% of patients could not understand medication directions,

6300-431: The health literacy of both the parent and the child, creating a more knowledgeable community with health education. Although programs like Head Start and WIC have been working with the health literacy of a specific population, much more can be done with the education of children and young adults. Now, more adolescents are getting involved with their own health care, and education to make informed decisions. Many schools in

6390-571: The healthcare system. Identifying a patient as having low health literacy is essential for a healthcare professional to conform their health intervention in a way that the patient will understand. When patients with low health literacy receive care that is tailored to their more limited medical knowledge base, results have shown that health behaviors drastically improve. This has been seen with: correct medication use and dosage, utilizing health screenings, as well as increased exercise and smoking cessation. Effective visual aids have shown to help supplement

6480-579: The information communicated by the doctor in the office. In particular, easily readable brochures and videos have shown to be very effective. Healthcare professionals can use many methods to attain patients' health literacy. A multitude of tests used during research studies and three minute assessments commonly used in doctors offices are examples of the variety of tests healthcare professionals can use to better understand their patients' health literacy. Asking simple single-item questions, such as "How confident are you in filling out medical forms by yourself?",

6570-610: The intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information." Some key elements of plain language include: The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends that patient education materials be written at a 6th–7th grade reading level; further recommendations provided by the NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison are published in their "Clear Communication" Initiative. The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) recommends involving patients and non-academic members of

6660-758: The label of a prescribed drug. Several factors may influence health literacy. However, the following factors have been shown to strongly increase this risk: age (especially patients 65 years and older), limited English language proficiency or English as a second language, chronic conditions, less education, and lower socioeconomic status. Patients with low health literacy understand less about their medical conditions and treatments and overall report worse health status. Various interventions, such as simplifying information and illustrations, avoiding jargon , using " teach-back " methods, and encouraging patients' questions, have improved health behaviors in persons with low health literacy. The proportion of adults aged 18 and over in

6750-413: The literature found that when limited English proficient (LEP) patients receive care from physicians who are fluent in the patients' preferred language, referred to as having language concordance, generally improves outcomes. These outcomes are consistent across patient-reported measures, such as patient satisfaction, and also more such as blood pressure for patients with diabetes. Plain language refers to

6840-432: The low-income population. Head Start provides low-income children and their families early childhood education, nutrition, and health screenings. Health literacy is integrated in the program for both children and parents through the education given to the individuals. WIC serves low-income pregnant women and new mothers by supplying them with food, health care referrals, and nutrition education. Programs like these help improve

6930-515: The managed care (insurance-billing) system through direct primary care which is a subset of the more familiar concierge medicine . Physicians in this model bill patients directly for services, either on a pre-paid monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, or bill for each service in the office. Examples of direct primary care practices include Foundation Health in Colorado and Qliance in Washington. In

7020-400: The move towards patient-centered care and the greater use of technology for self-care and self-management requires higher health literacy on the part of the patient. This has been noted in several research studies, for example among adolescent patients with obesity. The United States Department of Health and Human Services created a National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. One of

7110-400: The organization and policies of the national health system, patients may be required to see a primary care provider for a referral before they can access secondary care. In countries that operate under a mixed market health care system, some physicians limit their practice to secondary care by requiring patients to see a primary care provider first. This restriction may be imposed under

7200-544: The patient. There are generally five primary methods of funding health care systems : In most countries, there is a mix of all five models, but this varies across countries and over time within countries. Aside from financing mechanisms, an important question should always be how much to spend on health care. For the purposes of comparison, this is often expressed as the percentage of GDP spent on health care. In OECD countries for every extra $ 1000 spent on health care, life expectancy falls by 0.4 years. A similar correlation

7290-553: The prevention of transmissible diseases. They also include the services of professionals in residential and community settings in support of self-care , home care , long-term care , assisted living , treatment for substance use disorders among other types of health and social care services. Community rehabilitation services can assist with mobility and independence after the loss of limbs or loss of function. This can include prostheses , orthotics , or wheelchairs . Many countries are dealing with aging populations, so one of

7380-577: The priorities of the health care system is to help seniors live full, independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. There is an entire section of health care geared to providing seniors with help in day-to-day activities at home such as transportation to and from doctor's appointments along with many other activities that are essential for their health and well-being. Although they provide home care for older adults in cooperation, family members and care workers may harbor diverging attitudes and values towards their joint efforts. This state of affairs presents

7470-473: The public in writing plain language summaries of research articles. This can ensure that the language used will be appropriate for the intended audience. There are several tests, which have verified reliability in the academic literature that can be administered in order to test one's health literacy. Some of these tests include the Medical Term Recognition Test (METER), which was developed in

7560-430: The risk for further decline in health status and increased housing insecurity, all of which is highly affected by low levels of health literacy. In order to be understood by patients with insufficient health literacy, health professionals must intervene to provide clear and concise information that can be more easily understood. Avoidance of medical jargon, illustrations of important concepts, and confirming information by

7650-410: The terms of the payment agreements in private or group health insurance plans. In other cases, medical specialists may see patients without a referral, and patients may decide whether self-referral is preferred. In other countries patient self-referral to a medical specialist for secondary care is rare as prior referral from another physician (either a primary care physician or another specialist)

7740-626: The use of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates). Health care extends beyond the delivery of services to patients, encompassing many related sectors, and is set within a bigger picture of financing and governance structures. A health system , also sometimes referred to as health care system or healthcare system , is the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to populations in need. The healthcare industry incorporates several sectors that are dedicated to providing health care services and products. As

7830-650: The use of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates). Health systems are the organizations established to meet the health needs of targeted populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a well-functioning healthcare system requires a financing mechanism, a well-trained and adequately paid workforce , reliable information on which to base decisions and policies , and well-maintained health facilities to deliver quality medicines and technologies. An efficient healthcare system can contribute to

7920-539: The use of writing strategies that help readers find, understand, and apply information to fulfill their needs. It has a vital role to play in improving health literacy. In conjunction with readers education, provider cultural training, and system design, plain language helps people make more informed health choices. Plain language is not, however, a one-size-fits-all approach. Some strategies can be used to improve communication among medical professionals, while others will improve communication with patients and caregivers. It

8010-401: The work of health professionals who act as a first point of consultation for all patients within the health care system . The primary care model supports first-contact, accessible, continuous, comprehensive and coordinated person-focused care. Such a professional would usually be a primary care physician , such as a general practitioner or family physician . Another professional would be

8100-535: Was hit with an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bug, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus or VRE. The hospital closed two 30-bed wards to new admissions in early December after 21 patients tested positive to VRE, while staff contained spread of the bacteria. Tertiary health care Health care , or healthcare , is the improvement of health via the prevention , diagnosis , treatment , amelioration or cure of disease , illness , injury , and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care

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