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[Health literacy in patients with heart failure treated in primary care]

Rosalia Santesmases-Masana1, Luis González-de Paz2, Jordi Real3

  • 1Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.

Atencion Primaria
|May 30, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Most heart failure patients struggle with understanding health information, impacting self-care. Improving health literacy through factors like education is crucial for better patient outcomes and self-management in heart failure care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology and Primary Health Care Research
  • Health Literacy Studies
  • Patient Self-Care Research

Background:

  • Health literacy is a critical determinant of patient understanding and engagement in healthcare.
  • Patients with chronic conditions like heart failure often face challenges in comprehending complex medical information.
  • Effective self-care is vital for managing heart failure and improving patient prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the health literacy levels among heart failure patients in a primary care setting.
  • To identify factors influencing health literacy in this patient population.
  • To explore the relationship between health literacy and self-care practices in heart failure management.

Main Methods:

  • A multicentre, cross-sectional study involving 318 heart failure patients across 10 primary care centres in Barcelona.
  • Utilized the Health Literacy Survey-European Union Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) and the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale.
  • Employed ANOVA and multiple linear regression to analyze relationships between health literacy, sociodemographic, and clinical variables.

Main Results:

  • A significant majority (79.6%) of heart failure patients exhibited problems understanding healthcare information.
  • Health literacy was significantly associated with academic level (P<.001), heart failure extent (P=.032), self-care practices, and age (P<.04).
  • Academic level was the strongest predictor, explaining 61.6% of the variance in health literacy.

Conclusions:

  • A substantial proportion of stable heart failure patients experience difficulties in understanding health information, highlighting a critical gap in care.
  • Health literacy is a key factor influencing patient self-care attitudes and behaviours in heart failure.
  • Interventions aimed at improving health literacy, particularly focusing on educational attainment, are essential for enhancing self-management and outcomes in heart failure patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
Alfabetización en saludAtención primariaHealth literacyHeart failureInsuficiencia cardiacaPrimary carePrácticas de autocuidadoSelf-care practices

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