Health literacy as a determinant of health, and health equity is seldom discussed. Since, it significantly impacts patient outcomes, health literacy warrants our attention now more than ever. Specifically in Canada, immigrants, a fast growing population falls below the national average health literacy level (Rootman & Bihnety, 2008). Client health literacy significantly impacts their ability to cope with chronic illness. In order to help clients cope with chronic illness, nurses face the challenge of educating clients, especially those with low literacy. As healthcare technology progresses, personal health care records (PHRs) are more accessible than ever. However, most healthcare professionals in Canada, especially nurses, are not using them …show more content…
In order to empower our clients to make appropriate health care related decisions we must educate them. However, prior to educating clients, it is a nurse's responsibility to assess client health literacy status. Further, it is important that assessment is an ongoing process, and not limited to clients with low health literacy.
In order to ensure accurate assessment of health literacy, and effective patient education nurses can use the ACTS method during each patient interaction (French, 2015). ACTS method encompasses assessment, collaboration and comparison, teaching/teaching back, and survey of the client. Using this 4 step processes nurses can effectively educate, and empower clients. The ACTS methods allows nurses to adapt to all clients, including those with varying levels of health literacy, with varying degrees of experience with their chronic illness, and with various socioeconomic backgrounds (French 2015). Further, additional components that help make the ACTS method effective include the opportunity to seek support from other healthcare professionals, and the opportunity of ongoing process. Client education needs are dynamic, and variable, and even more so in the case of chronic
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PHRs are a type of record accessible to healthcare workers that contain health related information such a diagnoses (Curtis et al., 2011). The records effectively and efficiently organize patient information in order to help healthcare workers and the patient manage their health. Information found on PHRs helps healthcare professionals provide better care; they can relate how past and current conditions will affect client treatments, education and outcomes. In contrast to the States, Canadian institutions are slow to effectively utilizing PHRs primarily based on the belief that they are not considered crucial to client centered care (Curtis et al., 2011). PHRs sole purpose is often thought of as only keeping a record of all relevant health information; however, the primary purpose of the PHR is to improve clients’ health care outcomes (Ozok et al.,
...s, K.D., London, F. (2005). Patient education in health and illness (5th ed.). New York: Lippincott.
Hundreds of thousands of physicians have already seen these benefits in their clinical practice.” This is proof that in Canada we should continue to introduce electronic health records and help smaller practises with policies to help with funding. The benefits of electronic health records can drastically improve the quality of health and health
Historically, physicians and nurses documented patients’ health information using paper and pencil. This documentation created numerous errors in patients’ medical records. Patient information became lost or destroyed, medication errors occur daily because of illegible handwriting, and patients had to wait long periods to have access to their medical records. Since then technology has changed the way nurses and health care providers care for their patients. Documentation of patient care has moved to an electronic heath care system in which facilities around the world implement electronic health care systems. Electronic health records (EHR) is defined as a longitudinal electronic record of
pp. 197-205 Singleton, K., & Krause, E. (2009). Understanding cultural and linguistic barriers to health literacy. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(3). United Nations.
Medical records are the most basic of clinical tools (Pullen and Loudon 2006) and their main importance is to serve as a form of memoir or aid in client and patient support. Medical records therefore provides essential evidence of care provision, thereby enabling effective communication between health care professionals, members of the multidisciplinary team and all clinicians as a whole.
It is important to evaluate which learning style your patients prefer in order for them to best understand what needs to be done for the maximum appropriate outcome. Licensed practical nurses are advocates and that’s someone who supports and supplies information to their patients. Advocacy often involves standing up in support of a patient and their rights. This is especially true when patients are not able to protect their own rights. When filling the role of counselor, Licensed Practical Nurses can help patients and families explore ideas and feelings towards healthcare and illness (8 Roles of the LPN). Some patients have a difficult time accepting a disease or its treatment options. As a practical nurse you consult with RN supervisors regarding patient care and assessments. In some settings LPN 's communicate directly to physicians. Communicating information to the proper people assists in increasing the effectiveness of care plans (Role). As practical nurses we are only one part of a patient care team. Other important members include RN 's, CNA 's, physicians, physical/occupational/speech therapists, dietitians, volunteers, and more (8 Roles of the LPN). With such a large team, every member has their own scope of
According to the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (2008) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (2012), the personal health record (PHR) is defined as the individual lifelong electronic health records. Its features are electronic, readily available, personal control, standardization, resource sharing, and portability. Although the PCEHR is currently being implemented in several countries of the world, it still has many controversial disadvantages. Hoy, Yoshihashi, & Bailey, 2012) mention that some of the ideal functions of PHR, include patient controlled, longitudinal record, interoperable and resource sharing, portability, automated input of clinical reports, as well as the integration of clinician workflow. "The PCEHR is aimed to be a secure electronic summary of people's medical history stored and shared in a network of connected systems from a central electronic hub (Australian Nursing Journal, Aug. 2012; Kerai, Wood, &Martin, March 2014)”. The Australian Government has clear legal provisions on PCEHR implementation, including the conditions of participation, target participants, methods and procedures of registration, informed consent, security requirements, penalties for violation of privacy and mitigation strategies (Australian Nursing Journal, Aug. 2012; Australia Government ComLaw, 2012; Williams, 2013; Wilson, 2012). However, The Australian (2013, September 17) notes that the Australia government has invested 1 billion on the project, but only 0.6% of people actually using this program registered at about 65 million electronic health record conditions.
In an interview with a staff nurse (S.N), the main problem within patient communication included lack of patient’s (and family) involvement/willingness in planning cares. The staff nurse emphasized how “Patients often feel overwhelmed and do not want to participate. But, it is important for patients to be involved in their care for better outcomes” (S.N., personal communication, February 5, 2014). The staff nurse’s statement is supported by Evans (2013) whom remarked “better-informed patients avoid unnecessary care and frustration”.
According to Penner et al. (2013), there are various causes of healthcare disparities, such as socioeconomic status; this results to poor healthcare services for people with low socioeconomic status, as people with low pay find it difficult to leave their work to seek healthcare help, or to afford healthcare insurance (p.4). The second cause is language proficiency. The language barriers faced by the immigrant plays a role in the healthcare disparities among the racial or ethnic minority patients. Another cause is health literacy. The levels of the health literacy among the foreign born individuals can be influenced by their higher level of distrust of the healthcare providers and healthcare system than they have towards Caucasian people. This, in turn, leads them to seek healthcare information less often than their Caucasian counterparts, thus hindering the provision of quality services, as well as limiting the foreign patients’ ability to manage their health conditions effectively. The foreigners’ failure to easily accept the information provided to them by healthcare providers puts them at risk. Disentangling the role of health literacy in racial healthcare disparities from the effects of racial attitudes and beliefs is often hard (Penner et al,
This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.
Conaty-Buck, S. (2009). Unblocking barriers: Clearing the channel to improve communication between practitioners and patients with low health literacy. (Order No. 3364864, University of Virginia). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 121. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/docview/305011452?accountid=14694. (305011452).
The above definition is relatively broad, yet it does not cover all the features a PHR might have. Many experts believe that access to personal health information by itself cannot improve the quality of care nor it can empower patients and help them make informed decision unless they have access to some tools and services to interact with the system and get support for their decisions. Secure communication between patients and caregivers, app...
Health literacy is a term not widely understood by the general population. It is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions and services needed to prevent or treat illness,” (About health literacy, 2014). A person’s level of health literacy is based on their age, education level, socioeconomic standing, and cultural background. Patients with low health literacy have a more difficult time navigating the health care system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this group of patients may find it harder to find medical services and health care providers, fill out health forms, provide their complete medical history with their providers, seek preventative care, understand the health risks associated with some behaviors, taking care of chronic health conditions, and understanding how to take prescribed medications (About health literacy, 2014). It is to a certain extent the patient’s responsibility to increase their own health literacy knowledge. But to what extent can they learn on their own? Those working in the health field have been trained to navigate the health system and understand the medical terms. They have the knowledge and capability to pass on that understanding to their patients. Health care professionals have a shared responsibility to help improve patients’ health literacy.
Literacy and Health, Setting the gears in motion to abolish oppression in higher learning is key when addressing literacy and good health. As of 2009, the Department of Education reported that literacy rates for more than 50 percent of African American children in the fourth grade nationwide was below the basic skills level and far below average; and by the ninth grade nationwide, the situation had gotten worse, with the rate dropping below 44 percent. Literacy. African Americans with low salaries and low literacy levels inexplicably agonize over poor health outcomes about many avertable illnesses. Low practical literacy and low health literacy obstruct millions of African Americans from effectively retrieving health material. These difficulties
Patient education is an essential part of our job as nurses and nurse educators. Whether teaching a patient about a new medication or about a chronic disease, the success of the person is greatly influenced by how well the nurse instructed and supported the patient. Many patients have difficulty understanding the information presented to them by physical/mental limitations, health literacy or a language barrier. It is critical that nurses and all health care providers are provided with the strategies to effectively teach patients correctly, safely and give the information in a way that the patient can comprehend and understand. In Southampton Hospital, the educational and discharge information provided to the patients needs to be updated. The