STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS
Health literacy
and it’s impact on
your practice
Submitted by the Canadian Medical Protective Association
Physicians recognize the importance of effectively engaging with patients, and ensuring that medical information is
well understood. However, patients may not always understand the medical information being conveyed to them, or
appreciate its importance and impact. Physicians will want
to be aware of potential health literacy issues when engaging with patients, and utilize a variety of measures to mitigate its impact.
Is literacy an issue in your practice?
Physicians can consider if health literacy is a factor in their
practice by understanding what it is, recognizing that a patient’s ability to assimilate and act on information provided
to them can be challenging to assess.
Health literacy means being able to obtain, read and understand information related to health, and to use this
information to make decisions about and maintain basic
health. There are a number of benefits to having a high level
of health literacy, including making appropriate decisions
about ones’ health, and keeping abreast of new and relevant
information. Conversely, patients who do not understand
the medical diagnosis or the treatment options may have
a more challenging time achieving the full care objectives.
Physicians may assume that their patient population enjoys
a high level of health literacy. Given that Canada has one of
the most highly educated populations in the world, physicians may think that this translates into a similarly high level
of health literacy in their patient population. However, it
is estimated that 60% of Canadians lack the skills needed
“to obtain, understand and act on health information and
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SMA NEWS DIGEST | SUMMER 2014
services and to make appropriate health decisions on their
own.”
While physicians will want to consider if their patient population is at risk of suffering from low health literacy, it is important to keep in mind that some literacy issues are visible
while many others are difficult to pinpoint.
Measures to identifying health literacy
The following indicators may alert physicians that a patient
has difficulty understanding a health-related discussion :
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incomplete or inaccurately filled medical forms
missed appointments, laboratory tests or referrals
inability to name medication prescribed or why it was
prescribed
inability to understand when medication should be
taken
Some health literacy signs may be difficult to spot if the patient:
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doesn’t admit being unable to understand what is being explained to them
has personal barriers, cultural beliefs, or social stigma
feels they don’t deserve more time with a doctor
feels overwhelmed by their health condition
There are effective and respectful strategies physicians can
use to assess patient understanding of a dialogue. They can
ask:
“Let’s go over this once more to make sure I explained it to
you clearly.”