[Health literacy and nonurgent emergency department visits]

The number of patients with nonurgent health conditions using emergency departments (ED) is growing steadily. It is unclear however whether this is associated with limited health literacy of patients.

This study aims to explore the health literacy of patients with nonurgent conditions in an ED, compare it with the health literacy of the general population and identify relationships between health literacy and patients' views on emergency care.

A total of 448 patients with nonurgent conditions participated in a cross-sectional survey in the ED of a German university hospital.

The study shows that health literacy of nonurgent emergency patients is significantly lower than the health literacy of the German population. Patients with lower levels of health literacy perceive higher treatment urgency, are significantly less informed about treatment options other than the ED and are more likely to visit the ED or the outpatient walk-in practice for a second opinion after having seen their general practitioner.

The results indicate a need for action to improve health literacy in Germany. In particular, current structural changes in emergency care in Germany have to be considered.