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Reading ability in patients in substance misuse treatment centers
T C Davis1, R H Jackson, R B George
1Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Medicine, Shreveport 71130-3932.
The International Journal of the Addictions
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Many adults in substance misuse treatment have low reading levels, hindering comprehension of educational materials. Tailoring patient education to literacy skills is crucial for effective treatment and informed consent.
Area of Science:
- Health Literacy
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment
- Patient Education
Background:
- Effective patient education and informed consent are vital in substance misuse treatment.
- Literacy levels can significantly impact a patient's ability to understand treatment information and forms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reading ability of adult inpatients in public and private substance misuse treatment settings.
- To evaluate the readability of patient education materials and consent forms used in these settings.
Main Methods:
- Reading ability was tested in adult inpatients across different treatment settings.
- Readability levels of patient education materials and consent forms were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Public substance misuse patients demonstrated significantly lower reading levels compared to private patients.
- Over half of public and nearly a third of private patients read below a 9th-grade level.
- Treatment materials and forms were written at 11th-18th grade reading levels, exceeding patient comprehension abilities.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists between patient literacy levels and the complexity of standard treatment materials.
- Implementing literacy assessments upon admission and providing materials matched to reading ability is recommended for substance misuse treatment settings.