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Health literacy in pediatric dermatology: challenges and opportunities
Kendrick J Williams1, Ashley J Housten2, Carrie C Coughlin3
1St. Louis Children's Hospital.
Insights
Health literacy significantly impacts pediatric dermatology patient care and outcomes. Addressing low health literacy through improved communication and resources is crucial for better adherence and health results.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Health Services Research
- Patient Education
Background:
- Health literacy is a critical determinant of patient engagement, healthcare utilization, and health outcomes in pediatric populations.
- Limited health literacy is underexplored in pediatric dermatology, yet it poses significant barriers to effective patient care.
- Inadequate health literacy is linked to poorer health outcomes, reduced medication adherence, and suboptimal healthcare system engagement.
Approach:
- This scoping review examines the influence of health literacy on patient care within pediatric dermatology.
- It identifies specific challenges posed by limited health literacy in this specialty.
- The review offers strategies to mitigate these barriers and improve patient outcomes.
Key Points:
- Patient-facing health materials are often written above the average reading level, exacerbating challenges for individuals with limited health literacy.
- Low health literacy increases susceptibility to medication errors, including incorrect dosing and missed doses.
- Specific skills like numeracy and electronic health literacy require targeted attention in pediatric dermatology settings.
Conclusions:
- Health literacy is a vital component influencing patient care, treatment adherence, and overall outcomes in pediatric dermatology.
- This review provides practical examples for addressing health literacy challenges in clinical practice.
- Further research is needed to develop and implement effective interventions to improve health literacy in pediatric dermatology.
Purpose Of Review:
Health literacy influences how children and families participate in their medical care, use health services, and overall health outcomes. Health literacy is underexplored in pediatric dermatology. In this scoping review, we provide examples of how limited health literacy can be a barrier to patient care in pediatric dermatology and how to mitigate its effects.
Recent Findings:
Limited health literacy is associated with worse health outcomes, decreased medication adherence, and decreased use of the healthcare system versus those with adequate health literacy. Materials created to help patients understand their medical conditions and treatment options often are written at a reading level far above that of the average patient and caregiver. Given the reading level of patient-facing materials, those with limited health literacy are more susceptible to medication administration errors, with omissions or incorrect dosing being most frequent to occur. There is limited research about how skills related to health literacy, including numeracy and electronic health literacy, can be addressed in pediatric dermatology.
Summary:
Health literacy impacts patient care, treatment, and adherence in pediatric dermatology. This article gives examples of how to address common challenges in the pediatric dermatology clinic and presents areas for further research and improvement.
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