AHRQ Data Spotlight reveals a dearth of adult health literacy … and a proven solution

According to a recent Data Spotlight from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), too many patients are unable to recall important discussions they had with their providers or understand the care instructions they received. Data based on a 2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) indicates that only 12 percent of adults – almost 9 in 10 people – have proficient health literacy and find it difficult to “obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” On the other hand, effective tools are available for addressing the issue although they aren’t used as often as they could be, according to AHRQ.

The AHRQ document notes that the problem can be addressed using a communication strategy called the teach-back method – an evidence-based technique that clinicians can employ to make sure patients understand what they’re hearing during office and other healthcare visits. Providers ask patients to describe in their own words what they have heard. If patients cannot teach the information back correctly, providers will instruct them again using a different way of explaining, until patients are able to teach back what they have learned correctly.

However, fewer than one-third of adults whose provider gave them instructions reported being asked to describe how they would follow the instructions, according to the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (NHQDR). There also exists remarkable gaps in provider communications related to education status, race, and ethnicity among patients who did receive teach-back during a visit.

Here are the findings:

·        The percentage of adults whose healthcare providers always asked them to describe how they would follow instructions increased as education level decreased: 37.8% of adults with less than a high school education, 33.7% of high school graduates, and 27.4% of adults with at least some college education.

·         Black adults (39.9%) were more likely than White adults (28.8%) and Asian adults (31.3%) to have healthcare providers who always asked them to describe how they would follow instructions. There were no statistically significant differences between Whites and Asians.

·         Hispanic adults (39.4%) and non-Hispanic Black adults (40.2%) were more likely than non-Hispanic White adults (27.2%) to have healthcare providers who always asked them to describe how they would follow instructions.

AHRQ data indicates that providers need to be more diligent about checking their patient’s understanding of the care they receive.