Discussion: Health Literacy, health and medicine homework help
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Please be sure to answer the questions that are underlined!!!
APA
format, approximately 300-400 words, just make sure underlined
questions are answered, references less than 5 years old, at least 3
references.
Discussion: Health Literacy
In order to effectively manage their own health,
individuals need to have competencies in two areas—basic literacy and
basic health literacy. What is the difference? Basic literacy refers to
the ability to read, even simple language. Health literacy is defined
as, “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain,
process, and understand basic health information and services needed to
make appropriate health decisions” (National Coalition for Literacy,
2009). Unfortunately, according to a Department of Education report on
health literacy, only 12% of adults aged 16 and older are considered to
have a proficient level of health literacy (U.S. Department of
Education, 2006). Acquiring health literacy skills has become more
complicated with the explosion of online health information, some
credible and some misleading.
In this Discussion, you focus on how to help
individuals find credible information on the Internet and develop
strategies nurses can use to increase the health literacy of their
patients.
To prepare:
- Think about the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients.
- Consider the many ways patients access health information, including blogs, social media, patient portals, websites, etc.
- Reflect on experiences you have had with patients who self-diagnose using online medical sources.
- Using the Internet, the Walden Library, or other
trustworthy sources, identify a resource that you could introduce to
patients to help them evaluate the credibility of health information
found online. - What are some strategies you could employ to improve the health literacy of patients?
By Day 3
Post your assessment of the nurse’s
role in improving the health literacy of patients. Then, identify the
resource you would recommend to patients for evaluating online health
information and why it would be beneficial. Describe additional
strategies for assisting patients in becoming informed consumers of
online health information.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
Week 11: Consumer Health Literacy
“My mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer. What does that mean?”
“I’ve had a cough for 4 weeks. Should I be concerned?”
“I‘m thirsty all the time. Could this mean I have diabetes?”
The Internet has empowered consumers to retrieve
instantaneous information about almost any health issue that arises. For
example, a Google search for “measles” identified 12.1 million
different links in a mere 0.11 seconds. However, today the problem lies
not with finding information but with recognizing which information is
up-to-date, credible, and valuable. Unfortunately, many health consumers
do not have the literacy skills to sift through available information
and identify that which is relevant. Nurses can play a valuable role in
helping to improve consumer health literacy. In this final week, you
explore how nurses can be involved in increasing the health literacy of
patients.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Assess the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients
- Formulate strategies for improving the health literacy of patients
- Apply strategies for improving a targeted audience’s health literacy
Photo Credit: [Wavebreakmedia Ltd]/[Wavebreak Media / 360]/Getty Images
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required
library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List,
found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 17, “Supporting Consumer Information and Education Needs”
This chapter explores health literacy and e-health. The chapter examines a multitude of technology-based approaches to consumer health education.- Chapter 18, “Using Informatics to Promote Community/Population Health”
In this chapter, the authors supply an overview of community and population health informatics. The authors explore a variety of informatics tools used to promote community and population health.- Chapter 16, “Informatics Tools to Promote Patient Safety and Clinical Outcomes”
The authors of this chapter present strategies for developing a culture of safety using informatics tools. In addition, the chapter analyzes how human factors contribute to errors.
Health literacy: How do your patients rate? (2011). Urology Times, 39(9), 32.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The authors of this article define health literacy and emphasize its poor rates in the United States. Additionally, the authors recommend numerous websites that offer patient education materials.
Huff, C. (2011). Does your patient really understand? H&HN, 85(10), 34.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article defines hospital literacy and highlights the barriers that prevent it from increasing. It also emphasizes the difficulties created by language and financial costs.
Required Media
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