Abstract
Aim
Patients with limited health literacy have poorer surgical outcomes. However, current studies assessing the prevalence of limited health literacy in patients expecting surgery are small scale. We aimed to provide insight into the health literacy level of patients undergoing planned surgery.
Subject and Methods
Patients aged ≥18 years visiting the preoperative screening department were approached in the waiting area and invited to participate in a brief interview including the Functional Communicative Critical Health Literacy (FCCHL).
Results
In total, 225 patients (84.9% response) were studied. Based on the FCCHL, 37.3% of the patients were classified as having limited health literacy. The mean score in the critical domain (2.7 ± 0.9) was lower than scores in the functional (3.3 ± 0.6) and communicative (3.3 ± 0.6) domains.
Conclusion
More than one third of the patients admitted to the hospital for surgery had limited health literacy. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the different health literacy levels and tailor their information provision strategies accordingly.
Patients with limited health literacy have poorer surgical outcomes. However, current studies assessing the prevalence of limited health literacy in patients expecting surgery are small scale. We aimed to provide insight into the health literacy level of patients undergoing planned surgery.
Subject and Methods
Patients aged ≥18 years visiting the preoperative screening department were approached in the waiting area and invited to participate in a brief interview including the Functional Communicative Critical Health Literacy (FCCHL).
Results
In total, 225 patients (84.9% response) were studied. Based on the FCCHL, 37.3% of the patients were classified as having limited health literacy. The mean score in the critical domain (2.7 ± 0.9) was lower than scores in the functional (3.3 ± 0.6) and communicative (3.3 ± 0.6) domains.
Conclusion
More than one third of the patients admitted to the hospital for surgery had limited health literacy. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the different health literacy levels and tailor their information provision strategies accordingly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 181-186 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2017 |
Keywords
- Health literacy
- Communicative
- Critical
- Functional
- FCCHL
- Hospital
- Surgery