Nursing Resources: Patient Education
It is important to select patient education resources that fit a patient's health literacy. Health Literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make well informed health decisions. Health Literacy requires patients have a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to apply these skills to health situations. Low health literacy can affect a patient's ability to communicate with a health care provider, calculate doses, analyze risk vs benefit, interpret tests, and evaluate the credibility of information on websites. Once you have assessed your patient's needs, concerns, preferences, and possible barriers to learning, you will need to select resources that fit the patient.
Sources: National Institutes of Health [Internet]. Bethesda MD. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; c2020. Health literacy; 2021 June 30. Available from: https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/clear-communication/health-literacy
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