Identifying Patients with Low Health Literacy

The July issue of the AHRQ research activities reports that:

A simple question identifies patients with low health literacy

“How confident are you in filling out medical forms?” Asking this simple question, in either English or Spanish, may allow clinical researchers to identify persons with limited health literacy (HL) as effectively as using the English or Spanish versions of the short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (s-TOFHLA), a new study reports. Earlier studies indicate that nearly half (46 percent) of the United States population has limited HL (inadequate or marginal HL), and that limited HL is associated with poor health outcomes. Unlike the versions of s-TOFHLA, which have to be administered in person, the single question, “How confident are you in filling out medical forms?” can be asked over the telephone.

Sarkar U, Schillilnger D, Lopez and others.  Validation of self-reported health literacy questions among diverse English and Spanish speaking populations.  Journal of General Internal Medicine 2011 Mar;16(3):265-271.

 

 

 

Updated Stable COPD Guidelines

The American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and European Respiratory Society have issued an update of their 2007 clinical practice guideline.  Included in the guideline is a one page summary with seven recommendations.

Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Weinberger SE, Hanania NA, Criner G, van der Molen T, Marciniuk DD, Denberg T, Schünemann H, Wedzicha W, Macdonald R, Shekelle P; for the American College of Physicians, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, and the European Respiratory Society. Diagnosis and Management of Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Clinical Practice Guideline Update from the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and European Respiratory Society. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Aug 2;155(3):179-191. PubMed PMID: 21810710.