Introduction
Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to obtain, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions about their health. It involves not only the ability to read and comprehend health-related materials but also the ability to communicate effectively with healthcare providers and navigate healthcare systems. The problem of concern in this paper is patients’ lack of health literacy. Lack of health literacy is a person’s inability to obtain, comprehend, and utilize health knowledge successfully to make informed health choices. Patient lack of health literacy affects healthcare quality, safety, and cost.
My personal experience
I assessed a 33-year-old female diabetic patient. I started the assessment with simple questions on her previous sugar levels, which she could not answer. During the evaluation, I learned that the patent lacks much information on her health condition and its management. She was also ignorant to understand it. To me, she seemed not to care about her health, meaning she did not know the danger should get herself into. Health literacy is essential because it can significantly influence health outcomes. People with poor health literacy may struggle to comprehend medical directions, manage chronic conditions, and make educated health choices. They may also be more likely to be hospitalized and have insufficient general health results.
Comment on the evidence-based practice (EBP) documents or websites you reviewed.
The article “Social Determinants of Health” provides an overview of the various factors that influence health outcomes, including social and economic conditions, as well as individual behaviors and healthcare systems. The article also barely discusses health literacy as an essential health determinant. It emphasizes that people with poor health literacy may have trouble obtaining and comprehending health information, communicating successfully with healthcare providers, and making informed health choices. This can lead to poorer health results and worsen current disparities in health (plan et al., 2022).
The article explains how social determinants such as income, education, employment, housing, and social support can significantly impact an individual’s health and well-being. It also discusses how addressing social determinants of health can help to reduce health inequalities and improve overall population health. While the article does not explicitly address health literacy, it highlights the importance of improving access to healthcare information and services to address social determinants of health. This includes providing information in clear and simple language, addressing language barriers, and promoting health education and awareness.
Share the process and experience of exploring the influence of leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy on the problem.
I encountered no significant barriers during the assessment process because the patient was cooperative. The patient’s family agreed that the patient lacked proper health literacy, which could lead to other health complications. BI employed several leadership and communication strategies during the assessment of the patient. I ensured I had created a rapport with the patient to make her develop confidence. I used simple language, which enabled the patient to understand the questions and respond accordingly. The changes I could have made during the assessment is to educate the family further on the need for health literacy in society. The different thing I would have done is take the patient through the possible complications that she could attract due to lack of health literacy.
Explain how the patient, family, or population problem impacts the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
People with poor health literacy may struggle to understand and grasp medical directions, fill out health documents, evaluate test findings, and adhere to treatment plans. Patients may be unable to make informed choices about their care if they do not entirely grasp their medical situation, treatment alternatives, or medication directions. This can result in bad health results, extended hospital stays, and increased healthcare expenses. Low health literacy is a major public health issue that can jeopardize patient safety, raise healthcare expenses, and negatively affect people. Patients with low health literacy may have difficulty understanding medical directions and medications, resulting in medication mistakes and adverse drug responses. They may also struggle to communicate their symptoms and medical background, resulting in misdiagnosis and postponed care. Low health literacy can have serious financial consequences and jeopardize patient safety. Patients with poor health literacy are more likely to use emergency services, be hospitalized, and remain in the hospital for extended periods. These factors all increase healthcare expenses for individuals and the overall healthcare system.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies can affect the problem’s impact on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
State board nursing practice standards and organizational and governmental policies are critical in tackling the effect of poor health literacy on healthcare quality, patient safety, and expenses because state board nursing practice guidelines advise nurses on their practice area, ethical duties, and care standards. Nurses conscious of the consequences of low health literacy can help their patients better their health literacy. They can provide plain-language patient education tools, use visual aids to convey health information, and ensure patients can access trustworthy health information resources. Nurses can help patients better comprehend their health conditions, therapy plans, and medication regimens, resulting in better health results and lower healthcare expenses.
Organizational policies can also help resolve poor health literacy as healthcare organizations can enact policies requiring staff to convey health information in straightforward English, provide patient education tools in multiple languages, and ensure patients can access trustworthy health information resources. Organizations can also educate employees on effective health communication strategies and provide continuing support to assist employees in meeting the health literacy requirements of their patients. Government policies can also play an essential role in addressing poor health literacy. For example, the Affordable Care Act mandates healthcare providers to provide plain-language patient instruction documents and interpreter services to patients with limited English ability. In addition, Medicare and Medicaid have rules in place to encourage the use of plain English in health dialogue and to increase health literacy among their beneficiaries. The government is trying to better health outcomes, lower healthcare expenses, and support health equity by enacting these policies.
Describe research that has tested the effectiveness of these standards and/or policies in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
According to the authors, engaging patients and the general public in healthcare decision-making can have various advantages, including better treatment quality, patient safety, and cost savings. However, they identify several obstacles to the patient and public participation, such as power inequalities, a lack of confidence, and insufficient resources. The authors say that government and organizational policies can play a crucial role in removing these barriers and allowing the patient and public participation. For example, policies that require or encourage patient and public involvement in healthcare decision-making processes can increase responsibility and foster a culture of patient-centered care. Policies that provide resources, such as money for the patient and public involvement activities or instruction for healthcare workers and patients, can also improve patient and public involvement efforts (Ocloo et al., 2021).
Explain how these standards and/or policies will guide your actions in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Organizational and governmental policies guide and lead nurses in tackling treatment quality, patient safety, and system and personal expenses. These policies define the standards, laws, and expectations that healthcare companies and their employees must adhere to provide secure, effective, and efficient treatment. Prescription safety policies, for example, may require nurses to follow specific procedures when giving medicines, such as double-checking the prescription and dose before delivery. Infection control policies may require nurses to adhere to particular hand cleanliness and personal protective equipment procedures to prevent the spread of diseases. Furthermore, patient-centered care policies may require nurses to engage patients and their families in care decision-making processes, honor their cultural beliefs and desires, and provide education and tools to support their involvement in care. Overall, organizational and governmental policies provide a framework for nurses to direct their actions and ensure that they deliver safe, effective, and efficient care that tackles care quality, patient safety, and system and individual expenses. Nurses can support good patient outcomes, lower the chance of harm, and optimize resource use by adhering to these rules.
Describe the effects of local, state, and federal policies or legislation on your nursing scope of practice within the context of care quality, patient safety, and cost to the system and individual.
Every state has a Nurse Practice Act that governs nurses’ activity areas with rules that outline the legal parameters of nursing practice. They can affect the type of care nurses can provide and their autonomy and accountability for patient outcomes. The Medicare and Medicaid programs, which are significant providers of healthcare services, are regulated by the federal government. These programs have specific rules that govern the kinds of services that nurses can provide and the rates at which those services are reimbursed. Nurses who work in healthcare organizations that engage in these initiatives must be familiar with these rules. State governments can license and certify nurses to work in their states. These procedures ensure that nurses have completed the necessary educational and training standards and can show proficiency in their practice fields. They also aid in ensuring that nurses provide safe and efficient treatment.
Propose strategies to improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and reduce costs to the system and individuals.
Improving access to health information, improving dialogue between patients and providers, and enabling patients to participate actively in their health management are all critical strategies for improving treatment quality, increasing patient safety, and lowering system and individual costs. Patients are better prepared to make health-related choices with access to precise and reliable health information. Improving patient-provider communication can decrease the chance of medical mistakes and enhance health results. Empowering people to take an active part in their health management can improve health and lower healthcare expenses. Patients who understand their health conditions are more likely to stick to treatment plans and make lifestyle changes that can improve their health, lowering the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits and, as a result, lowering costs for both the individual and the healthcare system.
Discuss research on the effectiveness of these strategies in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individuals.
The study “Building health literacy system capacity: A Framework for literate health systems” suggests a framework for developing health-literate systems intended to enhance treatment quality, patient safety and lower expenses for both people and the healthcare system. The framework comprises three primary strategies: improving access to health information, improving dialogue between patients and providers, and enabling patients to participate in their health management actively. According to the authors, several studies have shown that adopting health literacy interventions can enhance treatment quality and patient safety. Patients are better prepared to make educated health choices when access to health information and dialogue between patients and providers is improved, lowering the risk of medical errors and increasing health outcomes. Empowering patients to participate actively in their health management can result in improved health results and lower healthcare expenses. Patients informed about their health problems tend to stick to therapy plans and make healthy living adjustments. This can result in fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits, lowering expenses for the person and the healthcare system (Sørensen et al., 2021).
The benchmark sources
Forrester, J. D., Maggio, P. M., & Tennakoon, L. (2022). Cost of healthcare-associated infections in the United States. Journal of patient safety, 18(2), e477-e479. https://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/Abstract/2022/03000/Cost_of_Health_Care_Associated_Infections_in_the.25.aspx
Gupta, M., Pandey, D., & Naagar, S. (2023). Quality Management and Patient Safety in Healthcare Domain. In A Guide to Hospital Administration and Planning (pp. 67–78). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-6692-7_5
Kepner, S., & Jones, R. (2021). 2020 Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting: An Analysis of Serious Events and Incidents from the Nation’s Largest Event Reporting Database. Patient Safety, 3(2), 6–21. https://patientsafetyj.scholasticahq.com/article/73523.pdf
Plan, S., Invitations, W. A. F., & Bursary, V. S. R. P. (2022). Social determinants of health. Public Health. https://www.cpha.ca/what-are-social-determinants-health?utm_source=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_campaign=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_medium=referral
Conclusion
In conclusion, health literacy is an important element that influences healthcare quality, patient safety, and healthcare expenses. Patients with low health literacy may battle to comprehend medical knowledge, interact effectively with healthcare professionals, and make health-related choices. This can result in poor health results, increased readmission rates, and increased healthcare costs. The involvement of state board nursing practice standards, organizational policies, and government policies in tackling the problem of poor health literacy is important. To increase patient health literacy, nurses can use tactics such as straightforward language, visual tools, and reliable health information resources. Organizational and government policies that demand straightforward communication and patient instruction tools can also support health literacy. Improving healthcare results, patient safety, and lowering healthcare expenses requires tackling health literacy.
Reference
Forrester, J. D., Maggio, P. M., & Tennakoon, L. (2022). Cost of healthcare-associated infections in the United States. Journal of Patient Safety, 18(2), e477-e479. https://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/Abstract/2022/03000/Cost_of_Health_Care_Associated_Infections_in_the.25.aspx
Gupta, M., Pandey, D., & Naagar, S. (2023). Quality Management and Patient Safety in Healthcare Domain. In A Guide to Hospital Administration and Planning (pp. 67–78). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-6692-7_5
Kepner, S., & Jones, R. (2021). 2020 Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting: An Analysis of Serious Events and Incidents from the Nation’s Largest Event Reporting Database. Patient Safety, 3(2), 6–21. https://patientsafetyj.scholasticahq.com/article/73523.pdf
Ocloo, J., Garfield, S., Franklin, B. D., & Dawson, S. (2021). Exploring the theory, barriers, and enablers for the patient and public involvement across health, social care, and patient safety: A systematic review of reviews. Health Research Policy and Systems, pp. 19, 1–21. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-020-00644-3
Plan, S., Invitations, W. A. F., & Bursary, V. S. R. P. (2022). Social determinants of health. Public Health. https://www.cpha.ca/what-are-social-determinants-health?utm_source=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_campaign=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_medium=referral
Plan, S., Invitations, W. A. F., & Bursary, V. S. R. P. (2022). Social determinants of health. Public Health. https://www.cpha.ca/what-are-social-determinants-health?utm_source=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_campaign=collingwoodtoday.ca&utm_medium=referral
Sørensen, K., Levin-Zamir, D., Duong, T. V., Okan, O., Brasil, V. V., & Nutbeam, D. (2021). Building health literacy system capacity: A framework for literate health systems. Health Promotion International, 36(Supplement_1), i13-i23. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab153
write