Pharmacists` Roles in the Increase of Health Literacy among Patients
Nugroho Wibisono
Introduction
When a person become a patient, many aspects of his or her existence are different, for example
Language
• Words & phraseology are both foreign & can be very difficult to understand
Culture
• In a health care setting, there are different rules, eccentric guidelines, & peculiar ways of doing things
Time
• Health facilities generally have specific times in which they operate (appointments are generally between 8.00 AM & 4.30 PM when most people work) or people are awakened at 6.00 AM to take their medications
Space
• Inpatient rooms generally have room for only 1 to 2 people when many cultures have much larger families/extended families
Dress
• In many circumstances, patients must wear a gown or other strange garb that is unflattering, immodest, and makes 1 most vulnerable, at best
Expectations
• Patients may not be sure what to expect
Health Literacy Defined
Social Determinants of Health
• Are the conditions, in which people are born, grow, work, live & age, & the wider set of forces & systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces & systems include economic policies & systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies & political systems
Health Literacy
• The cognitive & social skills which determine the motivation & ability of individuals to gain access to understand & use information in ways which promote & maintain
good health
Health Literacy as a Public Health Problem
Patients with low
health literacy
Healthcare systems
are complex
Public Health
Problems
Impact on Patient Care
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Low health literacy increase risk populations (ex. Geriatry, dll) Low health literacy increase prevalence of disease
Low health literacy consume more health care services, have an increased risk for hospitalization, & utilize, to a greater extent, expensive services, such as emergency department & inpatient care.
Low health literacy can be affect on economical life of patient too. More severe disease of patients require more cost
Patient with low literacy levels can be a poor readers
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Pharmacists should be proactively aware of the common characteristics of a poor reader. There are characteristics of Poor Readers :
Read slowly, missing meaning Skip over hard words
Miss the context Tire quickly
Interpret visuals literally
Have difficulty because their eyes wander without finding a central focus Mix language to express simple ideas
Skip principle features
Get lost in the details rather than focus on the main features
Health Literacy Barriers
Skills needed to be Health Literate Patients
• Access & navigate health care services (when, where & how) 1
• Weigh relative risks & benefits 2
• Determine dosages & dosage schedule (mathematical calculations)
3
• Converse with & listen to clinicians 4
• Assess information for credibility & quality 5
• Decode test results 6
• Discover needed health information
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The Roles of Pharmacists
Pharmacists identification of low health literacy patients
Pharmacists must be identificate low health literacy patients. There are skills sets required for a
Proficient Level of Health Literacy
● After pharmacists identificate low literacy patients, they have to make counseling programs.
