The Relationship Between Health Literacy Levels and the Health Outcomes in the Heart Failure Population

To better understand the relationship between health literacy levels and the health outcomes in the heart failure population, Aurelia Macabasco-O’Connell, PhD, RN, ACNP1, Darren A. DeWalt, MD, MPH2,3, Kimberly A. Broucksou, MSW, MPA2, Victoria Hawk, MPH, RD, LDN2, David W. Baker, MD, MPH, Dean Schillinger, MD6, Bernice Ruo, MD, MAS5, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD6, George M. Holmes, PhD2,4, Brian Erman, BA, MS2, Morris Weinberger, PhD4, and Michael Pignone, MD, MPH2,3, conducted a literature review of the current studies. The authors published their article online through Journal of General Internal Medicine on March 3, 2011 called “Relationship between literacy, knowledge, self-care behaviors, and heart failure-related quality of life among patients with heart failure.”

Health literacy skills include print literacy, numeracy, and oral literacy. Print literacy includes the ability to read and understand direction and interpret information in documents such as medication lists, discharge instructions, as well as the ability to refer to other references for continuing educational material. Numeracy as part of health literacy includes the ability to understand numbers and quantitative information such as interpreting food labels, measuring blood glucose levels and utilizing sliding scales, in addition to understanding medication regimen and doses. Oral literacy involves oral communication such as speaking and listening.

Heart Failure (HF) is a progressively chronic condition that impacts largely the older adult population. HF is characterized by an impairment of the ventricles to fill or eject blood, leading to dyspnea, fluid retention, and eventually death. This debilitating disease leads to frequent hospitalizations with an...

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...ts participants. The findings demonstrated the populations most at need of further intervention to better health maintenance.

This study and the growing body of literature on health literacy have significant clinical implications. Of the reviewed literature, there is a correlation of low health literacy with poor health outcomes. A major factor, which limits the comparison of the resolutions within these studies, is the inconsistency in the way data was collected. Different methods were used to analyze the participants’ health literacy. Overall there is consensus amongst the studies. There are limitations within those studies and further research must be done to obtain definitive data regarding this relationship. Health professionals should take into consideration the health literacy level and need for further education of the chronic disease of the individual.