Health literacy practices of physicians and patient care personnel in a hospital setting

Abstract

Objective: Health literacy is a serious public health issue, and there are significant barriers to effective health communication among patients, physicians, and patient care personnel. We developed and implemented a hospital-wide health literacy survey to better determine the knowledge and practices of physicians and patient care personnel concerning health literacy in a hospital setting. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we invited physicians and patient care personnel from a pediatric hospital in the Midwest to participate in a health literacy survey. The survey combined open-ended questions and Likert-type items consisting of four domains: communication, decision-making, interpersonal skills, and health literacy knowledge. Quantitative data were analyzed - using SPSS software (descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, and t-test). Open-ended responses were analyzed thematically. Results: A total of 145 physicians and 891 patient care personnel completed the surveys. The results of Cronbach’s alpha, which was used to estimate the internal consistency of the scale, were 0.7 or greater for all domains. Most of the respondents had a general idea of what health literacy means, but only 37% of patient care personnel and 65% of physicians were able to define health literacy adequately. This study revealed several differences in health literacy perceptions between physicians and patient care personnel, but most respondents agreed that there is a need for health literacy training for health care professionals. Conclusion: The results of our study revealed insights and suggest that there is an obvious need to dedicate further efforts toward promoting health literacy. Health literacy training for all healthcare professionals is crucial to create health literate healthcare organizations. The findings are also useful for the health literacy group to plan health literacy initiatives and educational programs for healthcare providers to improve communication about health with patient and families.