Health Literacy in Surgical Oncology Patients: An Observational Study at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Low health literacy is a known factor contributing to increased healthcare resource utilization and adverse outcomes in diverse patient populations.
• This study focuses on surgical patients diagnosed with cancer at a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of low health literacy among surgical cancer patients at a CCC.
• To investigate the association between health literacy levels and key clinical outcomes in this patient group.

Main Methods:

• An observational study involving 218 surgical patients undergoing treatment for gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, or sarcomas.
• Health literacy was self-assessed using the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF).
• Clinical data, including length of stay (LoS), postacute care requirements, and 30-day unplanned care presentations, were extracted from electronic medical records.

Main Results:

• Fourteen percent (31 of 218) of surgical cancer patients exhibited low health literacy.
• Low health literacy was a significant predictor of increased LoS (β = -1.82, P=.002) and higher odds of requiring postacute care (OR, 0.25).
• No significant association was found between low health literacy and unplanned care presentations within 30 days post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a notable prevalence of low health literacy in surgical cancer patients at a leading cancer center.
• Low health literacy is significantly associated with extended hospital LoS and greater postacute care needs.
• Implementing universal screening for health literacy and patient navigation programs may help mitigate negative impacts on postsurgical outcomes.