Health Literacy: Emerging Evidence and Applications in Kidney Disease Care

Abstract

Health literacy represents the communication among patients, their social networks, providers, and health systems to promote patients’ understanding and engagement in their care. This is particularly relevant in kidney disease, in which the complexity of the medical condition and the extent of the health-care team require strategies to overcome health-literacy-related barriers. Limited literacy is common in patients with all stages of kidney disease and is associated with important outcomes, including reduced knowledge, less adherence, hospitalization, and death. A growing understanding and characterization of the health system, or organizational health literacy, may further our understanding of this dynamic relationship. Although various valid methods exist, assessment of health literacy within individuals or systematically within care settings has not been routinely performed. This may be in part due to the limited research in kidney-specific strategies to address limited health literacy. Future research to understand the mechanisms of health literacy will permit targeted, efficient interventions to bridge gaps and improve outcomes even in patients with complex kidney disease.

Kidney Disease Awareness and Knowledge among Survivors ofAcute Kidney Injury

“…Another potential reason for low awareness may be that clinicians are not communicating effectively about kidney health in ways that patients can understand, interpret, and apply [37]. Although widely adopted in communication between providers, the term "acute kidney injury" or "AKI" may not be being used in common parlance with patients to a similar degree.…”

Health literacy in kidney disease: Review of the literature and implications for clinical practice

“…Despite having data on methods to delay disease progression, kidney outcomes are suboptimal in part related to patient factors. Of these, there is increasing evidence that health literacy plays an important role in the care of patients with kidney disease [3,4] . We present currently available health literacy screening tools, studies of health literacy in patients with kidney disease, and strategies to address health literacy in clinical practice.…”

The Nephrology Interdisciplinary Team: An Education Synergism

“…Estimates are that up to 50% of patients on dialysis have limited health literacy, which is associated with poor blood pressure control, missed dialysis treatments, and increased emergency department use. 20 Assessing a patient's health literacy is difficult. Although several tools exist, few are specific to the CKD population.…”