Introduction All individuals across the world strive to acquire high levels of competence and literacy across all aspects of education. It is human nature to maintain good health, and to educate ourselves on how to sustain prominent, fulfilling lifestyles. In application to health, the first step in achieving adequate health requires one to know where to locate reliable information. Not only is it important to understand what it takes to create health, but also the process of preserving healthy habits at all times. The construct of Health Literacy illustrates this notion entirely—and can be defined as the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions (CDC.gov). …show more content…
It is also important to look at health decisions and outcomes as it relates to consumers’ demand. A great deal of healthcare outcomes is impacted by the education and health literacy. Patients who are able to learn about their healthcare have more information to help them get involved in making decisions concerning their health and treatment options. Pleasant (2014) reveals that low levels of education, literacy, and health literacy impact health outcomes as well as healthcare utilization. There are consumers who would seek health care in the first place, as a result of a symptom they have experienced or are experiencing. Some would not seek health care because they are not aware of the severity of their health condition; this could be also be because they cannot afford the care, or many other factors. The knowledge of one’s health condition may lead them to demand care. However, the greater situation lies in what results from the choices consumers make why they make these choices, especially concerning treatment options and/or choice of …show more content…
In this study, the patients’ intent was found to be the major determinant on their choice to demand healthcare (Guimaraes Jr, Soares, Ferraz Junior, & Medeiros, 2015). For instance, if a consumer is not aware of cost options, cost ranges, and treatment options, he or she may be subjected to simply accepting health costs without getting a chance to decide whether or not the care option is the best. The consumer in this case just agrees to all provider recommendation; although, health information is provided in most cases but as our definition of health literacy infers, there is more for the patient beyond reading, there is understanding, then acting of what has been read and understood. Sometimes, consumers are not educated in that they have not been through formal education but in other instances, they have also not taken the time to seek health information in other to be aware of several options. Zafar, Ubel, Tulsky, & Pollak (2015) discuss the need for an improvement in cost-related health literacy that would positively impact the quality of care for patients. We can see how health literacy might play a huge role in medical care demand and health outcomes. This work will further look into how health literacy might affect health care outcomes such as cost and communication satisfaction between providers and patients. Although a broad terminology, we will
Despite the established health care facilities in the United States, most citizens do not have access to proper medical care. We must appreciate from the very onset that a healthy and strong nation must have a proper health care system. Such a health system should be available and affordable to all. The cost of health services is high. In fact, the ...
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).
In this demand model there is a presumption that consumers command a level of quality of care when they are “sick, injured, or otherwise in pain and that physicians are available to these consumers once they become patients,” (Samuels, 2012, p. 16). Therefore, in this model, those that are covered by an insurance is a consumer and does not become a patient until they are in need of care. Samuels’ (2012) describes illness-based demand further by stating that as consumers prior to seeking out healthcare, whether a practitioner’s office, a clinic, urgent care, or hospitals’ emergency room, they progressively become sicker. Prior to the event this consumer has not yet been identified by the system. Illness-based model remains the emergency services
Still, there is the access, quality, and affordability of health services provided to each individual. “How do we as a society approach these enormous determinant of health?” Finally, Quality is a major concern of receiving good health, and if there is always bad service then why is insurance such a factor. Insurance is a major focal point of how an individual it treated for any health related issue. Though, insurance is the reason for receiving good adequate treatment, other concerns await; such as the cost of these high premiums for
Nearly every American can agree that our current health care system needs reforms. Primarily do to the fact that 45.7 million Americans are without health insurance. That's approximately 16 percent of Americans who sometimes have to do without healthcare, or face crucial financial responsibility. The main issues are admission to healthcare, and the affordability of health care. Before 1920, doctors didn't know enough about diseases to really provide useful care to sick people. Therefore the...
“Free medical services would encourage patients to practice preventive medicine and inquire about problems early when treatment will be light; currently, patients often avoid.” (Messerli)
Networking Microsoft Office Education College: Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health Course: Health Literacy Development Date:
According to healthypeople.gov, a person’s ability to access health services has a profound effect on every aspect of his or her health, almost 1 in 4 Americans do not have a primary care provider or a health center where they can receive regular medical services. Approximately 1 in 5 A...
I think I am a health literate person because I believe my health and other people’s health is an essential aspect to having a quality life. Being a health literate person means being a critical thinker, a problem solver, a responsible and productive citizen, a self-directed learner, and an effective communicator.
Health literacy interlinks individuals as well as their health care environment so as to perform better. Low health literacy is a common problem in Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 59% of Australians aged 15-74 do not have the adequate health literacy skills needed to effectively access health services and manage their life's (Communicating with patients: improving health literacy and outcomes, 2017). Health communication and literacy helps organizations to control decision making and practice empowerment (Gazmararian and et
Merging multi-literacies in Health and Physical Education could allow students to talk about topics of the genre more successfully and have knowledge of Health and Physical Education terms and language in daily life. According to Nutbeam (2000) interactive health literacy is a term which outlines the individual inspiration to maintain personal health. By teaching skills in the primary years to communicate and cope with health issues and physical activity will assist students in the schools of South Australia to know their personal requirements.
According to Keogh (2014), health literacy is comprised of literacy, comprehension, and participation. When I think of health literacy I focus on a patient's capacity to read and understand printed materials. A requirement of all nurses in the hospital I work in is to hand out education about the admitting diagnosis at the bedside. Every patient receives information about their diagnosis, interventions, prevention, possible surgical procedures, and medications. Many times I noticed a lack of interest when I handed these papers to patients and I would tell them I would give them time to read it throughout the day and anwser questions they may have. Some would read it and ask appropriate questions, but I would say most did not. It was then that I became aware that a large percentage of people could not read or could not comprehend what they were
There are extremely large gaps in our entire aspect of understanding the role of communication services in health care delivery. The care of patients is interesting topic that needs to be addressed, it involves different individuals at all aspects of life, all needing to share patient care information and discuss the management perspective. The special services are increasing with interest in, the use of, information and communication technologies to support health services. Yet, while there is significant discussion of, and investment in, information technologies, communication systems receive much less attention and the clinical adoption of even simpler services like email, voice-calls, and any other electronic interactions is still not commonplace in many health services. Laboratory medicine is perhaps even more poorly studied than many other areas, such as the defining what primary care and hospital services are. Given this lack of specific information about laboratory communication services, this paper will help identify the financial structure of our healthcare system, particularly as it relates to health disparities, the uninsured, and functional communication challenges that America has been faced with, analyze the key components of a communication system, including the basic concepts of a communication channel, service, device and interaction mode. The review will then try and summarize some of what is known about specific communication problems that arise across health services in the main, including the community and hospital service delivery, and how it will we be able to improve the quality of care.
Health literacy plays an important role in individuals’ decision-making. The scope of health literacy does not limit to traditional medical perspective. In fact, it has extended from the basic understanding of diseases and medications to all aspects that affect health. As one of the key social determinants, health literacy has huge impact on health and well-being. Its influence is associated with disease prevention, healthy lifestyle promotion, policy making, etc. This essay will first discuss the concept of health literacy and the consequences that link to it, and then give a strategy—designing user-centred messages in education, to improve health literacy,
Shaw, C., Brittain, K., Tansey, R. & Williams K. (2008) How people decide to seek health care: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45 (10), 1516-1524.