|
|
|
|
|
Patricia A. Cloonan, RN, PhD, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20057, 202-687-7318, cloonanp@georgetown.edu
Limited health literacy is a growing and often unrecognized problem that has a great impact on public health nursing practice. As defined in Healthy People 2010, health literacy is 'the capacity to obtain, interpret and understand basic health information and services, and the capacity to use such information and services to enhance health'. Limited health literacy is a barrier to effective diagnosis and treatment, it contributes to high utilization of health care resources, and it may increase health care costs by as much as $73 billion dollars annually. It has been estimated that half of all patients have inadequate or marginally adequate health literacy; these patients are unable to read prescriptions and consent forms, understand written and oral information given by health providers, and act on necessary procedures and directions such as medications, appointments and referrals. Many nurses are not sensitized to the issues surrounding limited health literacy; anecdotal reports suggest that it is rarely included in curricula in either graduate or undergraduate nursing programs. We surveyed all accredited Schools of Nursing to determine the frequency, depth and placement of health literacy content in curricula. The results are currently being analyzed and will be presented in this session. Nurses are especially well situated to make an important contribution to the care of patients with limited health literacy, but nurse educators must provide them with the tools they need to assess these patients and tailor their interventions to meet the needs of this population. This session reports on the current status of health literacy content in Schools of Nursing and provides suggestions for where and how to incorporate health literacy content into nursing curricula.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session participants will understand
Keywords: Health Literacy, Public Health Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.