ARISE NEWSLETTER ISSUE 08 | NOVEMBER 2017
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
INTRODUCTION BE A HEALTH LITERACY HERO IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH LITERACY STRATEGIES FOR NURSING PROFESSIONALS NURSES FOR HEALTH LITERACY
INTRODUCTION
Health Literacy is promoted by organizations and individuals the significance of spreading basic health information. It is an annual event founded in 1999 by Helen Osborne. Over the years, various healthcare organizations, health literacy coalition, universities, community services, government agencies and many others have initiated different Health Literacy events. These include wellness programs for patients and public, educational assistance for students and workshops for professionals.
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ARISE Newsletter | November 2017
“BE A HEALTH LITERACY HERO” These could be organizations, teams or individuals who undertake actions to identify health literacy problems and find ways to improve health communication and thus resolve the problems. We can be a Health Literacy Hero in our own special way!!! Together, we can make a difference. Anyone who has been to a hospital can attest that nurses are one of the unsung heroes of healthcare. Aside from giving tender loving care to patients, nurses also offer their endless support and encouragement to their immediate families. When you perform (CPR) cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive a dying patient, every compression that you do is essential in saving the patient’s life. YOU are more than a health hero! When you attend to your patient’s needs every time that call bell rings, it may be as simple as changing the patient’s diaper or handing them a warm blanket, YOU are a health hero! When prior to discharging a patient, you extend a bit of your time to provide health teaching regarding medication compliance, health and diet, regular exercise, etc, then YOU are a selfless health literacy hero! When you are able to calm down and convince an anxious child to receive his or her medication or more so insert a cannula, then YOU are an amiable health hero. When you teach the patient’s care providers regarding fall risk measures, demonstrate to first-time mothers the proper way of breastfeeding, encourage a patient to stop their vices such as smoking and drinking, appreciate a former obese patient who is now lean and healthy, and educate a patient with chronic pain some coping strategies to divert their pain, YOU, without any doubt, a health literacy hero!!!
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IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH LITERACY In most cases, a patient ultimately has the final say in how they are treated medically. Even routine procedures are not first performed without their consent. While this measure seemingly protects their rights, it could hinder their recovery if they are not sure of what is happening to them. Health literacy refers to the degree in which an individual is able to obtain, process, and understand basic health information. Also included in health literacy is knowledge of medical services and procedures in order to make health decisions appropriately. The degree of a patient’s health literacy will affect their ability to: Navigate through the complex healthcare system, including filling out forms correctly and locating the appropriate medical care providers and services.
Share relevant personal information, including a personal and family health history, with their medical providers.
Be an active part of self-care and management of diseases and illnesses.
Understand the concepts of probability and risk in regards to their health and medical care.
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STRATEGIES FOR NURSING PROFESSIONALS With insufficient health literacy comes poor patient outcomes, higher hospitalization rates, higher re-admission rates, increase in ineffectively managed chronic illness and a higher cost for healthcare. Therefore, as a nurse, you have an opportunity to make a tremendous difference in our healthcare system just by improving your skills at providing patients with information. Communication is key, both verbally and written, as you must be able to not only give instructions but to assess whether a patient understands them. When speaking with patients, a nurse needs to learn how to put the medical jargon aside and talk in what professionals refer to as plain language. The key elements to talking in plain language are:
Organizing the information you are delivering so that the most important points are stated first. Breaking down complex information into pieces that are easy to understand. Using language that is simple and offering a definition of any technical terms. Presenting information in an active and interested voice. Given the value of proficient health literacy, it is important that healthcare professionals, including nurses and nurse managers, lead efforts to ensure patients are as informed as possible, both in terms of preventative health care measures — understanding why it is important not to smoke cigarettes, for example — and actions needed to treat any current health care problems, such as adhering to a medication regimen. Nurses, nurse managers, and general health care providers can use the following strategies for improving health literacy among patient populations:
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1. CREATING A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT
A common barrier to proficient health literacy for patients is a lack of trust in providers. Patients may feel uncomfortable communicating about health-related issues with nursing professionals or physicians for any number of reasons, including language and cultural differences or even just a general dislike of their providers. For example, if health care professionals come off as rude, direct, or dismissive, the trust may be eroded.
2. MAKING USE OF PRINTED INFORMATION Using printed materials, such as diagrams and pamphlets, as an effective way to relay crucial information to patients. Gallagher stressed that the most accessible materials will use elementary language, which is comprehensible at the middle-school level. He noted that it is helpful to test the materials on patients for a limited period of time to determine their efficacy.
3. USING BASIC LANGUAGE
Understanding the nuances of health-related issues can be a challenge, even for more educated patients. Such difficulties often are exacerbated when health care providers use medical terms that patients likely will not understand. It is suggested to health care professionals to use the simplest possible language when explaining a health problem or delivering instructions. Using basic language is an effective strategy for avoiding miscommunication that should be applied on a case-by-case basis, as using overly simplistic language to certain patients may cause offense.
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4. SPEAKING AT A MEASURED PACE It is common for health care providers to relay information quickly, often due to the fact that scheduling is tight and appointment times are limited. This delivery style is a mistake, however, as patients likely will miss important details if information is given too quickly. Health care providers should speak at a slow and measured pace, emphasizing important points when necessary.
5. ASKING QUESTIONS An eective tool that health care providers can implement to determine whether a patient understands what is being explained is by asking simple questions, Federico explained. The accuracy of the patient’s answers will demonstrate whether the important information and/or instructions were understood.
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WHY ARE NURSES PERFECT FOR INCREASING HEALTH LITERACY?
While physicians mostly y in and out of patients rooms, it is the nurse who is left to administer their orders. By professional design, nurses spend more time with patients, giving them better opportunity to assess their health literacy. With the foreknowledge of how astute a patient is about their condition and overall health, a nurse is better equipped to speak with them about their treatment plan, how to take their medications, and what types of symptoms should prompt them to seek further medical assistance. These are key elements to keeping patients from having to return to a medical facility for further treatment.
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Don’t Forget
UHS Medical Times 1
Newsletter | November 2017
To Check UHS Medical Times For
November
ﻧﺪﻋﻢ ا ﻃﻔﺎل ﻣﻨﺬ اﻟﻮﻻدة
SUPPORTING THE
EARLY BIRD
An Initiative on Preterm Birth Awareness From University Hospital Sharjah An estimated 15 million babies are born too early every year. That is more than 1 in 10 babies. Almost 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth. Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing problems. Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. And in almost all countries with reliable data, preterm birth rates are increasing. Inequalities in survival rates around the world are stark. In low-income settings, half of the babies born at or below 32 weeks (2 months early) die due to a lack of feasible, cost-effective care, such as warmth, breastfeeding support, and basic care for infections and breathing difficulties. In high-income countries, almost all of these babies survive. - W.H.O
About 10 per cent of all deliveries in the UAE are preterm births. Globally, there are about 15 million premature births a year – or more than one in 10 – and about a million children die because of complications from premature births.
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We Would Love to Hear
Find out information on our Supporting The Early Bird campaign in our November edition of UHS medical times. This edition is dedicated to the Awareness of Preterm Birth. It includes information on various health concerns of Prematurity and how the Modern Healthcare Facilities available, have given hope in such cases.
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ARISE Nursing Newsletter from University Hospital Sharjah
Call: +971 6 505 8555 or Mail: info@uhs.ae