National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 127 Research Studies DisplayedNacht CL, Jacobson N, Shiyanbola O
Perception of physicians' notes among parents of different health literacy levels.
The study explored how parents of varying health literacy levels perceive accessing physicians' notes during pediatric hospitalization. Thematic analysis of interviews with 28 parents revealed benefits like information recall and autonomy, with challenges including receiving bad news before face-to-face communication. The study found that parents with limited literacy found notes especially helpful for understanding the care of the child while reducing worry. Simplifying medical terms could enhance note accessibility for all parents, ensuring equitable access to healthcare information.
AHRQ-funded; HS027214.
Citation: Nacht CL, Jacobson N, Shiyanbola O .
Perception of physicians' notes among parents of different health literacy levels.
Hosp Pediatr 2024 Feb; 14(2):108-15. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2023-007240.
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Caregiving, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
This study’s objective was to test a health literacy-informed communication intervention to decrease liquid medication dosing errors compared with standard counseling in hospitalized children. This parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 22, 2021, to August 20, 2022, at a tertiary care, US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children 6 years or younger prescribed a new, scheduled liquid medication at discharge were included in the analysis. Observed dosing errors were the main outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included caregiver-reported medication knowledge. Among 198 randomized caregivers (mean age 31.4 years; 186 women [93.9%]; 36 [18.2%] Hispanic or Latino and 158 [79.8%] White), the primary outcome was available for 151 (76.3%). The observed mean (SD) percentage dosing error was 1.0% (2.2 percentage points) among the intervention group and 3.3% (5.1 percentage points) among the standard counseling group (absolute difference, 2.3 percentage points). Twenty-four of 79 caregivers in the intervention group (30.4%) measured an incorrect dose compared with 39 of 72 (54.2%) in the standard counseling group. The intervention enhanced caregiver-reported medication knowledge compared with the standard counseling group for medication dose (71 of 76 [93.4%] vs 55 of 69 [79.7%]), duration of administration (65 of 76 [85.5%] vs 49 of 69 [71.0%], and correct reporting of 2 or more medication adverse effects (60 of 76 [78.9%] vs 13 of 69 [18.8%]).
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Carroll AR, Johnson JA, Stassun JC .
Health literacy-informed communication to reduce discharge medication errors in hospitalized children: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2024 Jan 2; 7(1):e2350969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50969..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Literacy, Communication, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors, Clinician-Patient Communication, Hospital Discharge, Medication: Safety
Silverstein GD, Styke SC, Kaur S
The relationship between depressive symptoms, eHealth literacy, and asthma outcomes in the context of a mobile health intervention.
This study’s objective was to evaluate the associations between health/eHealth literacy and depressive symptoms with app usage and clinical outcomes. The authors recruited adults with persistent asthma to utilize the ASTHMAXcel PRO mobile app. Participants completed the following questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess for depressive symptoms, Asthma Control Test (ACT), Mini Asthma Quality of Life (QOL) Questionnaire, and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool to measure health literacy. Subsets of participant data were available on eHealth literacy (eHeals) (n = 24) and average number of app logins across 2 months (n = 40). The average participant age was 44.0 years, with 74% identifying as female. Increased depressive symptoms were associated with worse asthma control and asthma QOL, but not eHealth literacy. Higher eHealth literacy was associated with worse asthma QOL and more app logins. NVS scores weren’t associated with any measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS025645.
Citation: Silverstein GD, Styke SC, Kaur S .
The relationship between depressive symptoms, eHealth literacy, and asthma outcomes in the context of a mobile health intervention.
Psychosom Med 2023 Sep 1; 85(7):605-11. doi: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001170..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Asthma, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Education: Patient and Caregiver, Outcomes, Respiratory Conditions, Chronic Conditions
Lucy AT, Rakestraw SL, Stringer C
Readability of patient education materials for bariatric surgery.
This paper examined readability and reading level of online bariatric surgery and standardized perioperative electronic medical record (EMR) patient education materials (PEM). National organizations recommend that PEM not exceed a sixth grade reading level. One institution was used to assess readability of PEM. Text readability was assessed by seven validated instruments and mean readability scores calculated with standard deviations and compared using unpaired t-tests. A total of 32 webpages and seven EMR education documents were assessed. Web pages were overall assessed as "difficult to read" compared to "standard/average" readability EMR materials. All web pages were at or above high school reading levels, with the highest reading levels being pages with nutrition information and the lowest reading level patient testimonials. EMR materials were found to be at sixth to ninth grade reading level.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Lucy AT, Rakestraw SL, Stringer C .
Readability of patient education materials for bariatric surgery.
Surg Endosc 2023 Aug; 37(8):6519-25. doi: 10.1007/s00464-023-10153-3..
Keywords: Surgery, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Obesity: Weight Management, Obesity, Health Literacy
Ahmed N, Brown J, Parau C
Bridging the digital health divide: characterizing patient portal users and nonusers in the U.S.
The purpose of this study was to 1) review variations in demographics between patient portal users and nonusers; and 2) review variations in health literacy, patient self-efficacy, and technology utilization and attitudes between patient portal users and nonusers. The researchers collected data from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) workers between December 2021 and January 2022. 489 Participants completed an online survey with questions on their attitudes about media and technology, attitudes about their health, their access to technology, health literacy, patient self-efficacy, and patient portal use. The study results indicated qualitative differences between users and nonusers of patient portals as related to type of neighborhood, income, education, disability status, comorbidity, type of insurance, and the presence or absence of primary care providers. Quantitative results supported the qualitative results, revealing that participants with insurance, a primary care provider, or a disability or comorbid condition had a greater likelihood of having a patient portal account.
AHRQ-funded; HS026298.
Citation: Ahmed N, Brown J, Parau C .
Bridging the digital health divide: characterizing patient portal users and nonusers in the U.S.
Med Care 2023 Jul; 61(7):448-55. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001869..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Stallings SC, Richmond SC, Canedo JR
Assessing patient-level knowledge of precision medicine in a community health center setting.
Researchers used a mixed-methods approach to identify patient-level factors that influenced understanding of cancer risk among federally qualified community health center (FQCHC) patients. Participants were English-speaking adults aged 40-79 years enrolled in focus groups; they completed surveys to assess patient-level understanding of precision medicine, numeracy, and health literacy. The findings suggested that patients may lack familiarity with precision medicine concepts relevant for understanding cancer treatment decisions. The researchers concluded that future educational efforts might help to bridge the gap in patient understanding and facilitate equitable opportunities for precision medicine for patients, including those seeking care from community health centers.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Stallings SC, Richmond SC, Canedo JR .
Assessing patient-level knowledge of precision medicine in a community health center setting.
J Community Genet 2023 Apr; 14(2):197-210. doi: 10.1007/s12687-023-00632-4..
Keywords: Community-Based Practice, Health Literacy, Genetics
Arcia A, Pho AT, Lor M
Comparison of newest vital sign and brief health literacy screen scores in a large, urban Hispanic cohort.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Newest Vital Sign (NVS) and Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) scores in a large cohort of English- and Spanish-speaking urban Hispanic adults. Scores on both measures showed good internal consistency but NVS items had high difficulty; greater than 50% of respondents scored 0. The correlation between measures was weak. The study concluded that health literacy scores were poor predictors of objective scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853; HS022961.
Citation: Arcia A, Pho AT, Lor M .
Comparison of newest vital sign and brief health literacy screen scores in a large, urban Hispanic cohort.
Patient Educ Couns 2023 Apr; 109:107628. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2023.107628
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Keywords: Health Literacy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Urban Health
Lane S, Fitzsimmons E, Zelefsky A
Assessing electronic health literacy at an urban academic hospital.
The purpose of this study was to explore electronic health literacy (EHL) in patients at an urban, academic hospital in the Bronx, and evaluate for relationships between EHL levels and different demographic variables. The researchers designed a cross-sectional, observational study in adults 18 years or more who presented for services at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECCC) Department of Radiation Oncology or the Montefiore Department of Medicine in the Bronx. The study evaluated EHL using the existing, validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) survey and the researchers’ newly developed eHealth Literacy Objective Scale-Scenario Based (eHeLiOS-SB) tool. The study found that there was a statistically significant relationship between age and EHL as evaluated by both eHEALS and eHeLiOS-SB, with lower EHL scores for older adults. A specific question designed to evaluate attitudes toward digital health technologies revealed that the majority of participants held a positive attitude toward those types of applications.
AHRQ-funded; HS025645.
Citation: Lane S, Fitzsimmons E, Zelefsky A .
Assessing electronic health literacy at an urban academic hospital.
Appl Clin Inform 2023 Mar; 14(2):365-73. doi: 10.1055/a-2041-4500..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Shaffer VA, Wegier P, Valentine KD
Patient judgments about hypertension control: the role of patient numeracy and graph literacy.
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of patient health literacy, numeracy, and graph literacy on perceptions of hypertension control using different forms of data visualization. Forms of visualization included data tables, graphs with raw values, and graphs with smoothed values only. Findings showed that judgments about hypertension data presented as a smoothed graph were significantly more positive than judgments about the same data presented as either a data table or an unsmoothed graph. Hypertension data viewed in tabular form was perceived more positively than graphs of the raw data. Data visualization had the greatest impact on participants with high graph literacy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023328.
Citation: Shaffer VA, Wegier P, Valentine KD .
Patient judgments about hypertension control: the role of patient numeracy and graph literacy.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2022 Oct 7;29(11):1829-37. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocac129..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Blood Pressure, Shared Decision Making
Colditz JB, Shensa A, Kennedy AJ
Acceptability and efficacy of the SMARxT media literacy education program to counter pharmaceutical marketing influences among medical trainees.
This article looked at the results of a media literacy education program called SMARxT, whose goal was to counter pharmaceutical marketing influences among resident physicians. In 2017, the authors assessed program feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of enhancing knowledge among resident physicians at the University of Pittsburgh. The residents (n=73) responded to pre-test items assessing prior knowledge, viewed six SMARxT videos, and responded to post-test items. The residents completed a 6-month follow-up test to quantitatively assess sustained changes in knowledge and to qualitatively assess feedback about the program. The proportion of correct knowledge responses increased from pre-test to immediate post-test (31% to 64%) at baseline. Correct responses also increased from pre-test to 6-month follow-up (31% to 43%). Acceptability of the program quantitatively yielded positive scores and qualitative responses indicated participants' increased confidence in understanding and countering marketing influences due to the intervention. However, participants shared they would prefer shorter videos, feedback about test scores, and additional resources to reinforce learning objectives.
AHRQ-funded; HS022927.
Citation: Colditz JB, Shensa A, Kennedy AJ .
Acceptability and efficacy of the SMARxT media literacy education program to counter pharmaceutical marketing influences among medical trainees.
Interdiscip J Virtual Learn Med Sci 2022 Sep; 13(3):213-20. doi: 10.30476/ijvlms.2022.95137.1151..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Medication
Lindly OJ, Cabral J, Mohammed R
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB
"I don't do much without researching things myself": a mixed methods study exploring the role of parent health literacy in autism services use for young children.
This mixed-methods study examined how parent health literacy contributes to health-related outcomes for children with autism. This study included 82 US parents of a child with autism 2-5 years old and sought to describe (1) health literacy dimensions, (2) how health literacy influences services use, and (3) health literacy improvement strategies. The authors found that: autism information was accessed from multiple sources; understanding autism information involved "doing your own research"; autism information empowered decision-making; health literacy facilitated behavioral services use; health literacy influenced medication use; family and system characteristics also affected services use; autism education remains needed; services information is needed across the diagnostic odyssey; and greater scientific information accessibility would increase uptake.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Lindly OJ, Cabral J, Mohammed R .
"I don't do much without researching things myself": a mixed methods study exploring the role of parent health literacy in autism services use for young children.
J Autism Dev Disord 2022 Aug;52(8):3598-611. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05240-0..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Autism, Caregiving, Health Literacy
Theiss LM, Wood T, McLeod MC
The association of health literacy and postoperative complications after colorectal surgery: a cohort study.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery between 2015 and 2020 was to describe the association between health literacy, a determinant of health, and surgical outcomes. The outcomes of the study included: postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and mortality. The study found that of 552 patients, 8.3% (46) had limited health literacy. Patients with limited health literacy had higher rates of overall complications, especially surgical site infections, and longer LOS. Readmission and mortality rates did not differ between limited and non-limited patients. The researchers concluded that limited health literacy is related to an increased likelihood of post-surgical complications in elective colorectal surgery patients.
Citation: Theiss LM, Wood T, McLeod MC .
The association of health literacy and postoperative complications after colorectal surgery: a cohort study.
Am J Surg 2022 Jun;223(6):1047-52. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.10.024..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Surgery, Adverse Events
Di Tosto G, Walker DM, Sieck CJ
Examining the relationship between health literacy, health numeracy, and patient portal use.
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial study across the inpatient population of a U.S.-based academic medical center was to examine the association between health literacy and numeracy (HLN) and patient portal use. The researchers assessed the association between patients’ perceptions of health literacy and their skills, interpreting medical information with measurements of interaction with patient portals. The study reported that levels of HLN for the 654 patients in the study sample were not significantly associated with use of the inpatient portal. Six-month use of the outpatient portal after hospital discharge was also not related with HLN. There was a significant increase in self-reported levels of health literacy. The researchers concluded that although prior research suggested that low HLN can serve as a barrier to inpatient portal use and could limit interaction with outpatient portals, this study did not find the same associations. Instead, this study indicates that the inpatient setting might be effective in encouraging acceptance of technology such as hospital-provided tablets.
AHRQ-funded; HS024091; HS024349; HS024379.
Citation: Di Tosto G, Walker DM, Sieck CJ .
Examining the relationship between health literacy, health numeracy, and patient portal use.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 May;13(3):692-99. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1751239..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Jacobson CE, Heximer A, Olmeda-Barrientos R
Language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites.
This research letter describes an analysis of language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites. The authors surveyed patient-facing educational websites of all 140 active, accredited US liver transplantation centers. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia had websites. Inclusion criteria was that they were using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network website. They analyzed each website for non-English content. Excluded were websites from Puerto Rico, as Spanish is the predominant governmental language. A total of 23 states had no transplant websites with online materials in a second language, and 34 sites (24.3%) had resources other than English on their website. California had the highest number of centers with resources in a language other than English, followed by Texas and New York. Spanish was the most common language available at 100% of sites that had resources other than English, followed by Arabic at 38.9% and Mandarin Chinese at 38.9%. A total of 108 different languages were represented among 10 state websites.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Jacobson CE, Heximer A, Olmeda-Barrientos R .
Language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites.
Liver Transpl 2022 Apr; 28(4):722-24. doi: 10.1002/lt.26343..
Keywords: Transplantation, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Carpenter K, Scavotto M, McGovern A
Early parental knowledge of late effect risks in children with cancer.
This study assessed early parental knowledge of late effect risks in children with cancer. The cohort included parents of children receiving cancer treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The parents were surveyed about their knowledge of their child’s likelihood of eight late effects. Only 11 out of 96 parents correctly identified all their child’s risk for the eight late effects. Five of eight effects were the median number of correctly identified late effect risks. Among the 21 parents whose children were at risk for ototoxicity, 95% correctly identified this risk. Conversely, parents were less knowledgeable about risks of second malignancy, cardiac toxicity, neurocognitive impairment, and infertility.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986.
Citation: Carpenter K, Scavotto M, McGovern A .
Early parental knowledge of late effect risks in children with cancer.
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022 Feb;69(2):e29473. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29473..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Cancer, Risk, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy
Dos Santos Marques IC, Herbey II, Theiss LM
Understanding the surgical experience for Black and White patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): the importance of health literacy.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the surgical experience for Black and White inflammatory bowel disease patients. Same race, semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients with IBD who had undergone surgery were conducted to explore barriers and facilitators to a positive or negative surgical experience. The study reported that 6 focus groups were conducted with 10 Black and 17 White IBD participants with a mean age of 44.8 years, 52% of whom were male and 65% of whom had Crohn’s disease. Four themes were identified that most characterized the surgical experience: the impact of the IBD diagnosis, the quality of the information that was provided, disease management, and the surgery. Within these theme groupings, identified barriers to a positive surgical experience included inadequate personal knowledge of IBD, ineffective written and verbal communication, lack of a support system and complications after surgery. Both groups indicated that information was provided inconsistently which led to unclear expectations of surgical outcomes. The study concluded that surgical experiences vary between Black and White patients, but both groups emphasized the need for understandable, accurate, and trustworthy health information.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009; HS013852.
Citation: Dos Santos Marques IC, Herbey II, Theiss LM .
Understanding the surgical experience for Black and White patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): the importance of health literacy.
Am J Surg 2022 Feb;223(2):303-11. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.06.003..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Surgery, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Digestive Disease and Health, Patient Experience
Valdovinos C, Perez-Aguilar G, Huerta RG
Electronic health literacy among linguistically diverse patients in the Los Angeles County safety net health system.
Few studies have been conducted which evaluate levels of eHealth literacy in underserved populations, yet eHealth literacy may affect telehealth utilization. The objective of this study was to describe eHealth literacy levels as well as technology use and access patterns among English-speaking and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients from three Los Angeles clinics for uninsured, Medicaid, and other vulnerable patients (“safety-net” clinics). Between June and July of 2017, patients aged 18 or over with diabetes mellitus and/ or hypertension and their caregivers were recruited for the study. The researchers asked both English-speaking and LEP Spanish-speaking patients about their technology use and access, and assessed their levels of health literacy using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHeals). A total of 62 patients and 9 caregivers, with a mean age of 56, completed the questionnaire. The study found that 67% of participants used a telephone that had internet access. For the 10 items on the eHEALS instrument, the mean score was in the moderate range at 26/50 points. There was no difference in the mean eHEALS score between the English-speaking and LEP Spanish speaking groups, however 68% of English-speaking participants “agreed/ strongly agreed” that they knew how to use the internet to answer their health questions, compared to 47% of the Spanish-speaking participants (P<.05). The study concluded that despite moderate levels of electronic health literacy, participant’s perceived confidence and skills in engaging with electronic health systems were low.
AHRQ-funded; HS026407.
Citation: Valdovinos C, Perez-Aguilar G, Huerta RG .
Electronic health literacy among linguistically diverse patients in the Los Angeles County safety net health system.
Ethn Dis 2022 Winter;32(1):21-30. doi: 10.18865/ed.32.1.21..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Health Information Technology (HIT), Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Martin BA, Breslow RM, Sims A
Identifying over-the-counter information to prioritize for the purpose of reducing adverse drug reactions in older adults: a national survey of pharmacists.
This study’s objective was to determine which information on over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts Labels (DFS) is most critical in reducing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among older adults and should be placed in front of the label. A national survey of practicing pharmacists knowledgeable about OTC medication use by older adults asked respondents to rank order the importance of the DFL sections to reduce ADRs. A total of 318 responses were analyzed. There was high consensus that uses and purposes, active ingredient, warnings, and directions for use were the most important sections on the label. Two specific warnings “Do not use” and “Ask a doctor or pharmacist” were deemed most important in the warnings section.
AHRQ-funded; HS025386.
Citation: Martin BA, Breslow RM, Sims A .
Identifying over-the-counter information to prioritize for the purpose of reducing adverse drug reactions in older adults: a national survey of pharmacists.
J Am Pharm Assoc 2022 Jan-Feb;62(1):167-75.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2021.08.019..
Keywords: Elderly, Medication: Safety, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Health Literacy, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Peipert JD, Lad T, Khosla PG
A low literacy, multimedia health information technology intervention to enhance patient-centered cancer care in safety net settings increased cancer knowledge in a randomized controlled trial.
In this study, the investigators tested whether a low-literacy-friendly, multimedia information and assessment system used in daily clinical practice enhanced patient-centered care and improved patient outcomes. This was a prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with 2 arms, CancerHelp-Talking Touchscreen (CancerHelp-TT) versus control, among adults with Stage I-III breast or colorectal cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in safety net settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS017300.
Citation: Peipert JD, Lad T, Khosla PG .
A low literacy, multimedia health information technology intervention to enhance patient-centered cancer care in safety net settings increased cancer knowledge in a randomized controlled trial.
Cancer Control 2021 Jan-Dec;28:10732748211036783. doi: 10.1177/10732748211036783..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Cancer, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Wing SE, Hu H, Lopez L
Recall of genomic testing results among patients with cancer.
Genomic testing of somatic and germline DNA has transformed cancer care. However, low genetic knowledge among patients may compromise care and health outcomes. Given the rise in genomic testing, we sought to understand patients' knowledge of their genetic test results. The investigators conducted a survey-based study with 85 patients at a comprehensive cancer center and compared self-reported recall of (a) having had somatic/germline testing and (b) their specific somatic/germline results to the genomic test results documented in the medical record.
AHRQ-funded; HS024984.
Citation: Wing SE, Hu H, Lopez L .
Recall of genomic testing results among patients with cancer.
Oncologist 2021 Dec;26(12):e2302-e05. doi: 10.1002/onco.13928..
Keywords: Cancer, Genetics, Health Literacy
Greenzang KA, Kelly CA, Al-Sayegh H
Thinking ahead: parents' worries about late effects of childhood cancer treatment.
This study examined parental perceived likelihood, impact, and worry about late effects of treatment for childhood cancer. The authors surveyed 96 parents of pediatric cancer patients at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center within a year of diagnosis. Most parents (96%) valued information about late effects, and 93% considered late effects in their treatment decision-making. However, 24% could not recall receiving information about late effects, and only 51% felt well-prepared for potential late effects. Only one-fifth of parents consider late effects to be likely for their child, while 61% were extremely/very worried about late effects.
AHRQ-funded; HS022986.
Citation: Greenzang KA, Kelly CA, Al-Sayegh H .
Thinking ahead: parents' worries about late effects of childhood cancer treatment.
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021 Dec;68(12):e29335. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29335..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Cancer, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Caregiving
Santana S, Brach C, Harris L
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Updating Health Literacy for Healthy People 2030: Defining Its Importance for a New Decade in Public Health.
The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) updates the Healthy People objectives each decade based on the most current science. For the development of HP2030, the HHS drew on recommendations from the Secretary's Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030 (Secretary's Advisory Committee), an independent advisory committee of national health experts, to update the 20-year old individual-focused Healthy People definition of health literacy. This paper discusses that process.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Santana S, Brach C, Harris L .
Updating Health Literacy for Healthy People 2030: Defining Its Importance for a New Decade in Public Health.
J Public Health Manag Pract 2021 Nov-Dec;27(Suppl 6):S258-S64. doi: 10.1097/phh.0000000000001324..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Public Health, Health Promotion
Abujarad F, Peduzzi P, Mun S
Comparing a multimedia digital informed consent tool with traditional paper-based methods: randomized controlled trial.
This study compared informed consent using the traditional paper method versus a digital health tool called Virtual Multimedia Interactive Informed Consent (VIC) and participants’ comprehension of medical information. VIC was put on an iPad. The study was a randomized controlled trial with participants recruited from the Winchester Chest Clinic at Yale New Haven Hospital, and healthy individuals recruited from the community using fliers. A total of 50 participants were recruited and the informed consent method was randomized (VIC n = 25; paper, n = 25). Participants in both groups had high comprehension, but VIC participants reported higher satisfaction, higher perceived ease of use, higher ability to complete the consent independently, and shorter perceived time to complete the consent process.
AHRQ-funded; HS023987.
Citation: Abujarad F, Peduzzi P, Mun S .
Comparing a multimedia digital informed consent tool with traditional paper-based methods: randomized controlled trial.
JMIR Form Res 2021 Oct 19;5(10):e20458. doi: 10.2196/20458..
Keywords: Health Literacy, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Lopez-Olivo MA, Lin H, Rizvi T
Randomized controlled trial of patient education tools for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
This randomized controlled trial compared results of patient education tools for patients with rheumatoid arthritis using a written booklet or a written booklet along with a newly developed video tool. Outcomes were measured immediately before and after review of the materials, and 3 and 6 months later. One-hundred eleven participants received an educational video and booklet and one-hundred ten a booklet alone. Mean age of participants was 50.8 years, mean disease duration 4.8 years, 85% were female, and 24% had limited health literacy levels. Both groups had improved outcomes up to 6 months after educational materials were delivered and used, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Patients receiving the video and booklet were more likely to rate the presentation as “excellent".
AHRQ-funded; HS0193554.
Citation: Lopez-Olivo MA, Lin H, Rizvi T .
Randomized controlled trial of patient education tools for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis Care Res 2021 Oct;73(10):1470-78. doi: 10.1002/acr.24362..
Keywords: Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Arthritis, Patient Self-Management
Kruse J, Toledo P, Belton TB
Readability, content, and quality of COVID-19 patient education materials from academic medical centers in the United States.
The internet is a frequently used resource for providing patient education materials (PEMs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability, content, and quality of web-based PEMs on COVID-19 from US academic medical centers. Despite availability of web-based PEMs for COVID-19, the readability was significantly higher than the National Institute of Health and US Department of Health and Human Services recommended sixth grade reading level and actionability of PEMs was low.
AHRQ-funded; HS025267; HS026169.
Citation: Kruse J, Toledo P, Belton TB .
Readability, content, and quality of COVID-19 patient education materials from academic medical centers in the United States.
Am J Infect Control 2021 Jun;49(6):690-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.11.023..
Keywords: COVID-19, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Health Literacy, Public Health, Infectious Diseases