NURS 305

NURS 305 Health Literacy Assignment

In preparation for this assignment, please read The Joint Commission’s Executive Summary entitled: 

“What Did the Doctor Say?: Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety.”

https://swselfmanagement.ca/uploads/ResourceDocuments/The%20Joint%20Commission%20(2007)%20Improving%20Health%20Literacy%20for%20Patient%20Safety

In this assignment, you will create a health literacy improvement plan. You will need to address an area that you perceive is weak with respect to the health literacy needs of the patient and your unit. In this plan, please address each of the following aspects:

Title Page

· Present an APA formatted title page for this assignment. 

Introduction

· Introduce the health literacy needs of your unit and the education needs for the healthcare providers on your unit. 

Effective Communication – An Organizational Priority

· Describe the issue and what can be done to raise awareness in the organization about the issue you have identified.

· What is your plan to improve the healthcare environment in terms of health literacy?

· What will your organization need to do to improve on the health literacy issue you have identified?

Strategies to Address Patients’ Communication Needs

· What are the barriers that you note in terms of health literacy in your unit and in your organization?

· What will you do to improve your patient communication and to assist them in health literacy needs?

· How will you partner with patients and advocate for shared decision-making? What services are available to assist patients and their communication needs?

Promoting Improved Provider-Patient Communication

· What types of communication techniques will you use to improve provider-patient communication?

· In terms of hand-off communication, how can you improve your communication with other providers about the health literacy needs of patients?

· What barriers do you foresee as it relates to implementing your plan?

Conclusion and Summary

· Provide a conclusion/summary which offers a clear review of what you would hope to see as a result of implementing your plan for improving the health literacy topic you chose. 

Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, Syntax

· Proofread your work and visit the Effective Writing Center or a writing tutor to assist you in your review efforts. 

APA Citation and Reference Page

Use at least two scholarly sources to support your position and plan. Cite all references, provide a reference page, and present the paper in APA format. 

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NURS 305: Health Literacy Assignment

Introduction

The importance of health literacy in the United States health care system has grown in recent years, with many healthcare practitioners making it a top priority. Organizational health literacy is the ability to access, evaluate, and comprehend fundamental health care resources to make purposeful, evidence-based choices about one’s health. The structures and processes in place at healthcare facilities deemed to be health literate make it simple for patients to get the information they need, comprehend it, and put it to good use.

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases has increased in recent years and is only expected to rise. About 17 million people die worldwide from illnesses that cannot be spread by the air. This is due to people’s increased susceptibility to lifestyle illnesses due to their decreased levels of physical activity, cigarette use, and poor dietary habits. This contributes to developing lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes type II, and abnormal lipid profiles. To this end, people must make adjustments to their way of life that will ultimately make their communities healthier places to live. In theory, health information makes it possible for individuals to gain insight into and take responsibility for their health (Paasche-Orlow, & Wolf, 2010). While the internet has increased people’s access to information, they still need the ability to make sense of what they see.

Effective Communication – An Organizational Priority

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the primary cause of mortality and disability on a global scale is a significant health and development problem. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and mental and neurological problems account for the vast majority of fatalities attributable to NCDs. Education is a crucial social factor in combating infectious and non-communicable illnesses like cancer and diabetes. The risk of diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections in children can be drastically reduced by instructing patients on how to wash their hands properly, for example. Noncommunicable illnesses, the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide, may be prevented partly via education on healthy eating habits.

Health education workshops are something that my organization can do. Patients should learn the basics of taking care of themselves in these sessions. This includes washing their hands, brushing their teeth, caring for their eyes, and eating well. The seminars’ overarching objective is to minimize the prevalence of infectious diseases by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices among families, especially among youngsters. When it comes to preventing noncommunicable illnesses, the onus of responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the person, making education a crucial aspect of any intervention.

Comment by Busayo Oyewole: This is the same sentence.

Health education workshops are something that my organization can do. Patients should learn the basics of taking care of themselves in these sessions. This includes washing their hands, brushing their teeth, caring for their eyes, and eating well. The seminars’ overarching objective is to minimize the prevalence of infectious diseases by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices among families, especially among youngsters. When it comes to preventing noncommunicable illnesses, the onus of responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the person, making education a crucial aspect of any intervention.

Strategies to Address Patients’ Communication Needs

Literacy improves people’s ability to understand health information, which positively impacts their health. Health literacy is valued in public health because it empowers individuals to take ownership of their healthcare and make informed choices (Marquez, & Ladd, 2019). Taking responsibility for one’s health is crucial, and the community health program’s goal is to provide community members with the necessary resources. The reasoning is that those in need often have the lowest health literacy skills and the worst health outcomes. In addition, it helps individuals who have trouble reading and comprehending health information because of their limited literacy skills. As lifestyle-related illnesses affect a greater proportion of the adult population, this program will provide its participants with the information they need to protect themselves. Because existing health information is so dense and convoluted, the application will be useful in simplifying and making it more approachable.

Due to the prevalence of chronic illnesses, it is crucial to encourage communication and cooperation between patients and medical staff. This method is crucial since it allows for the provision of long-lasting and efficient healthcare, even to those located in outlying places. Stakeholder engagement, which improves medical quality and decision-making, must be encouraged as part of any successful participant partnership (Buljac-Samardzic, et al., 2020). Health objectives, as suggested by Healthy People 2020, should aim to enhance people’s health and quality of life. It is hoped that by achieving these objectives, the number of tobacco users would decrease, lowering the risk of several illnesses. Co-participating efforts to raise public knowledge about smoking’s risks is crucial. Moreover, implementing comprehensive smoke-free regulations requires the cooperation of other stakeholders, such as healthcare professionals and lawmakers. If this strategy is implemented, children and expectant mothers will be protected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoking.

Promoting Improved Provider-Patient Communication

The practice of communicating effectively must be actively pursued. Listening, demonstrating empathy, being patient, being aware of body language and tone of voice, thinking before speaking, not interrupting, and being receptive to patient criticism are all examples of interpersonal skills. It is important to identify and address barriers that may prevent such interaction to create the optimum atmosphere and opportunity for information sharing. Medical jargon, background noise, speech or hearing impairments, language, culture, time, and family relationships are all potential barriers.

It is also important to Read over the day’s consult and progress reports and round with the medical staff daily. This guarantees that you provide the patient with the most up-to-date and correct information possible (s). Together with the patient, frequently review the material to ensure comprehension. Use the in-room patient communication boards to share treatment plans, track progress, and coordinate care with the patient’s family and other medical staff. This can potentially lessen the number of diet and exercise-related calls to the helpline. Another benefit is that it may help patients and their loved ones feel more in control of the situation. Finally, it is important to review the institution’s goals, objectives, and guiding principles frequently. It’ll give you something to work for and keep in mind as you spend the time each day.

Patients’ varying levels of education or literacy, as well as their possible preference for speaking a foreign language, might create difficulties for them to comprehend health information. Clients who struggle in these areas may include those who are illiterate, those who speak a language other than English, those who have difficulties with numbers, and those who have trouble speaking or comprehending verbal discussions concerning health.

Literacy cannot be determined by appearance alone. This is not always the case even if someone seems knowledgeable and competent based on their outward demeanor and communication ability. If you want to provide the finest treatment possible, remember that even the most literate people sometimes have trouble comprehending health information. Even those with advanced degrees may struggle to make sense of their diagnosis or the treatment they are being requested to undergo because of the unfamiliarity of the medical jargon they are expected to utilize. In extreme cases, even the best health information managers might struggle. Anxiety and information overload might impair a person’s ability to comprehend and use health information.

Conclusion and Summary

Inequalities in health status are exacerbated by people’s inability to understand basic health information. Maintaining access to health data is one strategy for reducing inequalities. There is a robust correlation between socioeconomic status, race, and health literacy. One way to help those most in need is to provide the public accurate and timely information about noncommunicable illnesses (Kudo, et al., 2016). The existing data on non-communicable illnesses may be difficult to understand, and the public may not be able to use it. Notably, research has revealed that the ordinary individual is unable to comprehend health information, leading to suboptimal choices about one’s health.

For this reason, the information provided won’t exclude those with limited reading skills. Achieving this goal necessitates providing information on noncommunicable illnesses in both plain English and the languages used by the community. This will make sure that participants with lower levels of English proficiency are not abandoned. The initiative will also provide a toll-free number where people can call and get advice on improving their diet and exercising more in order to lessen the burden on healthcare facilities. The system will function such that the community has access to a number of choices. Given that some individuals may lack the abilities necessary to utilize the internet, this will be helpful since the automated services make it simple for them to get the information they need.

References

Buljac-Samardzic, M., Doekhie, K. D., & van Wijngaarden, J. D. H. (2020). Interventions to improve team effectiveness within health care: A systematic review of the past decade. Human Resources for Health, 18(1), 2.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-019-0411-3

Comment by Busayo Oyewole: The link provided in the instruction is not in the citation and it was not used in the assignment

Kudo, N., Yokokawa, H., Fukuda, H., Hisaoka, T., Isonuma, H., & Naito, T. (2016). Analysis of Associations between Health Literacy and Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics among Japanese Outpatients with Lifestyle‐related Disorders. Journal of General and Family Medicine, 17(4), 299-306. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.14442/jgfm.17.4_299

Marquez, L. L., & Ladd, D. L. (2019). Promoting health literacy: finding consumer health resources and writing health materials for patients. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 19(2), 156-164. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15323269.2019.1585777? casa_token=EzcjkpW7Sm0AAAAA:i1a1cAMGUGmn31JfdTWx29bAMxh9cB_1XHjHuj7E_XrCppJ6yLEuKD7sBA8tCkUNCK_GDuAG8kRsLDWg

Paasche-Orlow, M. K., & Wolf, M. S. (2010). Promoting health literacy research to reduce health disparities. Journal of Health Communication, 15(S2), 34-41. Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10810730.2010.499994