The Importance Of Healthcare Literacy

Healthcare literacy has not only proven to effect patients at the work place, but it is present is in our intermediate families. Having worked in the medical field for over 13 years, my mother never appeared to suffer from issues of healthcare illiteracy. As a Medical Assistant it was easy to read off instructions to patients or inform them of the procedures; and assume that the patient didn’t listen when studies had to be cancelled or test couldn’t be performed because the patient forgot to fast or arrive later than the scheduled time. My mother, “Now deceased of 5years”, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes was what we would call non-compliant. She never adhered to her dietary recommendations, never took insulin as prescribed and ended …show more content…
Surprisingly, even if the patient signs the consent to treat it is medical malpractice if a patient does not understand completely. It’s important that we ensure that the patient understands what procedures the physicians is recommending before they sign the consent forms. This is only reinforcing after the physician as explained the recommendations. The use of visual aids is an awesome idea. Remembering, that not every one learns the same for those that are visual learners it helps to tie in imperative information. It’s great to be able to look at x-rays as the physician explains what needs to happen to promote health. Or to have the physician to sit down next to you to draw different diagrams of how he will perform the surgery. Having a close friend or family member accompany the patient during the office visit helps. In fact, our surgeons required that the patient was accompanied with someone prior to the surgery. This ensures that two people know what to expect and if one person didn’t understand the other did or could ask …show more content…
We are to be the voice for our patients and it seems as if the patients in the video we all missing the key people the nurses. This is a personal issue for me and the reasoning of my change in my career. My sister and I are aspiring to opening our own Healthcare Agency. One that employs Nurses to attend doctors’ appointments with patients as their advocates. Health insurance companies are now starting to have nurses contact Doctors offices for follow up care to make sure their clients understand the physicians’ recommendations. The medical staff the first contact patients and it is our responsibilities to provide the best care possible to all. They can help make the patients feel more comfortable and willing to express their concerns and questions. After my mother passed, reading her medical records it was obvious that she had no idea of what was going on with her health. There was even documents that said that she seemed to be confused. There was so much more that could have been done, educating the patient should have been a priority. It’s easy to point the finger and say that the patient is non-compliant, but it’s more rewarding to be the solution. Teaching and educating, there should be a continuous learning experience. Involving the family members and utilizing visual aids had been successful in our office. My motto is to “Treat others as you want to be treated” and that you can too be the