“These patients look lost” – Community pharmacy staff’s identification and support of patients with limited health literacy

Koster, Ellen S.; Philbert, Daphne; Blom, Lyda; Bouvy, Marcel L.

doi:10.1111/ijpp.12272

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Another limitation of this study is that pharmacists estimated the health literacy level of their patients instead of measuring it with a validated measure, while research has shown that pharmacists find it difficult to estimate the level of health literacy. [39,40] On the other hand, this study showed that pharmacists estimations of the health literacy level of their population did not lead to a selection of the patient population to which the tool was offered, which is in line with the universal precautions approach. Another limitation of this study is that it is unclear to what extent the respondents who volunteered to participate in this study are representative of pharmacists in the Netherlands, limiting the extent to which the results can be generalized to all Dutch pharmacies.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 74%

Implementation of an animated medication information tool in community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy

Visscher

Vervloet

Paske

et al. 2021

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice

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Objectives The animated medication information tool ‘Watchyourmeds’ provides information in an accessible manner through animated videos and therefore appears to be especially suitable for people with limited health literacy. This study aimed to assess the implementation of this animated medication information tool in Dutch community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy. Methods A cross-sectional survey based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was sent to approximately 75% of the ±1900 community pharmacies in the Netherlands through email newsletters of pharmacy networks. Key findings 140 pharmacists (⁓10%) completed the survey and 125 of them (89%) indicated that they offered the animated medication information tool to their patients. 108 pharmacists indicated that the tool was offered to all patients, not only to patients with limited health literacy. The distribution method was primarily passive (patients were given a leaflet and were not explicitly pointed to or informed about the tool). Two frequently cited motivations for offering the tool were that it complemented other sources of information and that the health insurer provided a financial incentive. The main reasons patients refused to use the tool were that they had no access to or no affinity for the required technology. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the tool is used in community pharmacies and that it is offered to all patients, regardless of their presumed health literacy level. A more active method of offering the tool may be warranted to better reach patients with limited health literacy.

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Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 74%

Implementation of an animated medication information tool in community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy

Visscher

Vervloet

Paske

et al. 2021

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The healthcare professionals described the teachback method through examples from everyday clinical practice. A study has shown that the teach-back method and the use of plain language are techniques reported to facilitate pharmacists' communication with people with low-level HL [34]. Another recent study found positive effects of the teach-back method in enhancing the HL level of 127 older people in a nursing home [35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators in Communication by the Healthcare Professionals and Older Healthcare Users: The Role of Health Literacy

Efthymiou

Rovithis

Kalaitzaki

2022

J. Psychol. Psychother.Res

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Introduction: Older people are the basic users of health services. However, studies have shown that they have relatively low health literacy (HL) levels which results in many negative health outcomes. HL is a major challenge in public healthcare systems and an important determinant of optimised health outcomes and better quality of life for older people. On the other hand, professionals lack knowledge and skills to identify older people’s HL level and therefore, the delivery of care may be insufficient. The study aimed to report the perspectives on the barriers and facilitators in communication during the medical encounter by both the healthcare professionals and older healthcare users. Method: A qualitative study design was applied. One group with seven healthcare professionals and another one with five people over 60 years old discussed about HL knowledge and their experiences (attitudes and behaviors, barriers, and facilitators) of the healthcare professional -patient interaction. The focus groups took place virtually and were coordinated by the senior author. The discussions were analysed using the content analysis method. Results: Communication facilitators during the healthcare professional-patient interaction as reported by the healthcare professionals included: the need to trust and collaborate with the older people, patients’ specific characteristics (high level of education, psychological resilience and good judgmental), carers’ participation, the use of clear language and a person-centred approach. Communication barriers were considered the older people’s rigid beliefs about their lifestyle, the age-related cognitive, psychological, and sensory deficits, the function, and the structure of the healthcare system (e.g., professionals’ excessive workload). On the other hand, older people mentioned the importance of being prepared to ask questions during the medical encounter, being respected and included in the decision-making process. Conclusion: Easy-to-use Health Literacy training tools adapted to healthcare professionals’ everyday needs are considered necessary to improve the professionals-patients interaction, enhance their communication skills and promote the person-centred care within the framework of the Greek National Healthcare System. The integration of the tools as part of the training courses could prepare healthcare professionals with the enhanced the HL skills needed to improve the quality of care they provide and reduce the cost of care in general.

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“…The Danish study by Reuther et al (2011) concluded that MDD can be suitable for persons who use several drugs long-term, and whose medication is not changed frequently. The pharmacists interviewed in the study by Koster et al (2016) suggested that the use of aids such as MDD could be a strategy to improve medication use in patients with limited health literacy.…”

Section: Inclusion Of Patients In the Mdd Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patient-Centered Communication and Counseling to Ensure Patient Safety Through Correct Use of Medicines: Experiences and Challenges

Krogstad¹,

Larsen²,

Holm³

et al. 2022

Medication Safety in Municipal Health and Care Services

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In this chapter we discuss experiences and challenges regarding patient safety and correct use of medicines. Patient-centered communication and counseling are essential in order to achieve this. Incorrect use of medicines endangers patient safety, and can lead to medication-related problems, which again may have serious consequences for both the patient and society. Some of the most prominent pharmaceutical factors compromising patient safety are: communication challenges, language barriers, variety in health literacy, and self-care without guidance from a healthcare provider. The common theme for most barriers connected to incorrect use of medicines seems to be communication. It is therefore essential for healthcare providers to have good communication skills and be able to provide patient-centered communication and counseling of high quality. This may be the path towards optimizing use of medicines and ensuring patient safety. To improve patient-centered communication and counseling, teaching communication, as well as training courses, should be included in the curricula for healthcare providers, in addition to postgraduate training.

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“These patients look lost” – Community pharmacy staff’s identification and support of patients with limited health literacy

Cited by 17 publications

References 35 publications

Implementation of an animated medication information tool in community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy

Implementation of an animated medication information tool in community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy

The Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators in Communication by the Healthcare Professionals and Older Healthcare Users: The Role of Health Literacy

Patient-Centered Communication and Counseling to Ensure Patient Safety Through Correct Use of Medicines: Experiences and Challenges

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