Jolie Haun|Nitin R. Patel|Dustin D. French|Robert R. Campbell|Douglas D. Bradham|William A. Lapcevic
Association between health literacy and medical care costs in an integrated healthcare system: a regional population based study
James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital|James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital|Northwestern University|James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital|Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center|James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital
low health literacy associated higher health care utilization costs however largescale studies demonstrated veterans health administration vha research evaluated association veterans health literacy subsequent vha health care costs across threeyear periodthis retrospective study used generalized linear model estimate relative association patients health literacy vha medical costs adjusting covariates secondary data sources included electronic health records administrative data vha eg medical dcg sas datasets dssnational data extracts health literacy assessments identifiers electronically retrieved originating health system demographic cost data retrieved vha centralized databases corresponding patients vha use three yearsin study 92749 veterans service utilization 20072009 average per patient cost inadequate marginal health literacy significantly higher 31581 95 ci 30186 32975 23508 95 ci 22749 24268 adequate health literacy 17033 95 ci 16810 17255 estimated threeyear cost associated veterans marginal inadequate health literacy 143 million dollars adequate health literacyanalyses suggest controlling personlevel factors within vha integrated healthcare system lower health literacy significant independent factor associated increased health care utilization costs study confirms association lower health literacy higher medical service utilization pharmacy costs veterans enrolled vha confirmation higher costs care associated lower health literacy suggests interventions might designed remediate health literacy needs reduce expenditures analyses suggest 172 inadequate marginal veterans population account almost onequarter 24 va medical pharmacy cost 3year period meeting needs marginal inadequate health literacy could produce potential economic savings approximately 8 total costs population