Lost opportunities to improve health literacy: Observations in a chronic illness clinic providing care for patients with epilepsy in Cape Town South Africa

Keikelame, Mpoe Johannah; Swartz, Leslie

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.10.015

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Language barriers pose many challenges, particularly in South Africa which has eleven official spoken languages, with most health care professionals being proficient in only one or two of these languages (Levin, 2007; Schlemmer & Mash, 2006, Watermeyer & Penn, 2009). Even when patients and providers are of the same ethnicity, they may use quite different idioms and terms for describing illness (Keikelame & Swartz, 2013a, 2013b). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town

Keikelame

Swartz

2015

Transcult Psychiatry

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The experience of epilepsy is profoundly culturally mediated and the meanings attributed to the condition can have a great impact on its social course. This qualitative study used Kleinman’s Explanatory Model framework to explore traditional healers’ perspectives on epilepsy in an urban township in Cape Town, South Africa. The healers who participated in the study were Xhosa-speaking, had experience caring for patients with epilepsy, and had not received any training on epilepsy. Six individual in-depth interviews and one focus group with nine traditional healers were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Traditional healers identified several different names referring to epilepsy. They explained epilepsy as a thing inside the body which is recognized by the way it presents itself during an epileptic seizure. According to these healers, epilepsy is difficult to understand because it is not easily detectable. Their biomedical explanations of the cause of epilepsy included, among others, lack of immunizations, child asphyxia, heredity, traumatic birth injuries and dehydration. These healers believed that epilepsy could be caused by amafufunyana (evil spirits) and that biomedical doctors could not treat the supernatural causes of epilepsy. However, the healers believed that western medicines, as well as traditional medicines, could be effective in treating the epileptic seizures. Traditional healers were supportive of collaboration with western-trained practitioners and highlighted that the strategy must have formal agreements in view of protection of intellectual property, accountability and respect of their indigenous knowledge. The findings suggest a need for interventions that promote cultural literacy among mental health practitioners. Research is urgently needed to assess the impact of such collaborations between biomedical services and traditional healers on epilepsy treatment and care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town

Keikelame

Swartz

2015

Transcult Psychiatry

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“…The use of psychotherapy also has a positive influence on family members by helping them to cope better with their situation and further optimize their caregiver role [48]. In addition, it is also equally important to continually assess the readability of educational materials and websites utilized by PWE and the general public in order to ensure that they are clearly written, easy to comprehend, and culturally relevant [49][50][51][52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with increased felt stigma among individuals with epilepsy

Bautista

Shapovalov

Shoraka

2015

Seizure

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“…Media literacy enables the placement of in-formation in a social and political context and to consider issues such as the audience relations, and how media forms in them-selves and shapes the message that is conveyed. • Science literacy is the required understanding and knowledge of scientific processes commonly used in healthcare in order to use the information for personal decision-making (Johannah & Swartz, 2013). • Information literacy includes skills for the ability to seek relevant information, to separate and organize the information into knowledge and use to educate others.…”

Section: E-health Literacy Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A health literate person is able to understand cause and effect relationships between the action and the results (Apfel & Tsouros, 2017). According to Johannah & Swartz, (2013), although South Africa has a high level of general literacy, it is still severely affected by diseases and traumatic injuries. It is believed that this is affected by a distinct form of literacy that lacks amongst South Africans that is health literacy (Benatar 2013).…”

Section: Health Literacy In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Health literacy is also essential for effective communication between a patient and a medical practitioner. Health sources vary from books and other printed material such as pamphlets, peer to peer communication, internet and other digital technologies that deliver health information (Johannah & Swartz, 2013). All these sources need the ability to read, understand and apply health information to make positive health decisions (De Choudhury, Morris, & White 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Investigation of the Level of E-health Literacy in South Africa

Posiliti¹,

Cilliers²

Kalpa Publications in Computing

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E-health resources are widely used in the healthcare field, by health professionals, patients and the general public. However, to utilise e-health resources an individual needs to possess the basic e-health literacy skills that will enable them to process health information effectively. E-health literacy consists of six basic literacy skills namely tradi- tional and numeracy skills, computer, media, science, in-formation and health literacy skills that individuals need to possess in order to use e-health resources effectively. The concept of e-health literacy is a growing field of research worldwide but has lacked investigation in South Africa. This paper investigated the level of e-health literacy skills of South Africans. The study made use of a qualitative, inductive research approach and a structured literature review to identify the relevant academic studies that have been done in South Africa. Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. The study found that only parts of the e-health literacy skills have been investigated in South Africa, and it was concluded that South Africans have limited skills that enable them to seek health information independently. The study recommends that the lev-el of e-health literacy among South African be improved through education and awareness campaigns that highlight the importance of taking control of owns health in order to improve the health of all South Africans.

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Lost opportunities to improve health literacy: Observations in a chronic illness clinic providing care for patients with epilepsy in Cape Town South Africa

Cited by 22 publications

References 43 publications

‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town

‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town

Factors associated with increased felt stigma among individuals with epilepsy

An Investigation of the Level of E-health Literacy in South Africa

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